Over 16,000 people affected by floods again in Sri Lanka

Over 16,000 people have been affected in Sri Lanka after incessant rains flooded the island again in less than a month.

The Puttalam and Kurunegala districts in the Northwest are the most affected due to the overflowing of the Deduru Oya stream.

Pradeep Koddipilli, assistant director of the country's Disaster Management Centre (DMC) has told the IRIN news service although at the moment the situation is under control the authorities are monitoring the rains for the possibility of more displacements.

According to the DMC over 2,565 affected in Kurunegala and 11,708 affected in Puttalam districts.

Sooriyakaddaikadu minor tank, Mathulan and Welikulam tanks in Mannar District have breached due to heavy rains and seepage of sea water displacing 4,964 people while in Wattala area of Gampaha district heavy rains have displaced 3,580 people.

Sri Lanka's Meteorological Department has warned of further rains ahead in the forecast due to an atmospheric disturbance over the country.

Earlier this month floods brought on by record rains affected 260,109 people from 57,920 families, most of them from the capital Colombo.