Death toll in Sri Lanka floods rises to 15, over 85,000 affected

Floods and landslides caused by torrential rains with gale force winds in Sri Lanka have left 15 people dead, 13 missing, and over 85,000 affected, the Disaster Management Center said today. As of Wednesday, 89,118 people belonging to 24,431families have been affected by the floods and landslides. A total of 8,533 people from 2,202 families have been evacuated to 36 shelters set up in Matale, Kandy, Badulla, Nuwara Eliya, Polonnaruwa, Moneragala and Batticaloa districts. Ten of the deaths have been reported from the Central Province, which is prone to landslides, and another 7 are missing. The National Building Research Organization (NBRO) has issued landslide warnings to residents in Nuwara Eliya, Matale, Badulla and Kandy Districts. According to the DMC 97 houses have been fully damaged and 580 houses are partially damaged. The majority of the houses damaged are in the Eastern and Central provinces. The floods have also destroyed several thousand acres of paddy lands in the Polonnaruwa, Hambantota and Batticaloa districts. Meanwhile, the Meteorology Department warned of more thundershowers in the Northern, Eastern, North Central and Uva provinces and in the eastern slopes of the central hills and in the Hambantota district. Country's armed forces have been called on to assist the DMC and the police to rescue and evacuate affected people to shelters. Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has ordered the Treasury to release sufficient funds to provide relief to people affected by the adverse weather conditions. The government has directed the Treasury to release funds to District Secretaries to provide food and other relief items to the affected families.