At least 63 people have been confirmed dead due to landslides and floods in Sri Lanka owing to heavy downpour, which has affected more than 425,000 people in the country so far.
The Disaster Management Center (DMC) said that a total of 425,601 persons belonging to 103,776 have been affected by the prevailing adverse weather condition while the number is expected to gradually increase.
As of 9.00am today (May 20), 63 persons have been confirmed dead with another 29 injured and 132 persons reported missing.
The DMC said that 354 houses have been fully damaged due to the bad weather while 3,326 houses have been partially damaged.
According to the daily situation report, approximately 319,195 persons from 63,370 families have been placed at 597 safe locations.
As relief operations are underway in Sri Lanka, the government has said that the flood situation is “under control.”
The Hindu reported that while briefing the international community on the flood situation in the country, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera along with Minister of Disaster Management Anura Priyadarshana Yapa and Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said that a coordinating committee had been set up to figure out the possible requirements.
The government has sought foreign aid in the form of lifeboats, motor equipment and purification tablets.
Yapa was quoted by the Hindu as saying that Aranayaka was considered less vulnerable to landslips. “We had anticipated landslips to happen in high-risk areas but not here.”
He cited “human intervention” with nature as the main cause and said that land use plan in the town needs to be amended with stringent building laws and codes.
