Landslides, floods in Sri Lanka kill 31, leave 14 missing

At least 31 people have been killed and 14 remain missing after days of heavy rain triggered flooding and landslides across Sri Lanka, authorities said on November 27.

According to the Disaster Management Centre (DMC), the worst-hit area was the central tea-producing district of Badulla, where 16 residents were buried when saturated mountain slopes collapsed onto their homes overnight. Four others died in similar landslides in neighbouring Nuwara Eliya, with additional fatalities recorded in other parts of the country, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media. 

Nearly 400 houses were damaged by mudslides, and more than 1,100 families have been displaced to temporary shelters. With river levels continuing to rise, the DMC urged people in low-lying areas to move to higher ground.

Sri Lanka is in the midst of its northeast monsoon season, but officials said rainfall has intensified due to a low-pressure system east of the island. The government suspended nationwide final-year school examinations for two days as a precaution.

Meteorologists forecast more than 100 millimetres of rain across much of the country, with some northeastern regions expected to receive up to 250 millimetres on November 26.

This week’s death toll is the highest from extreme weather since June last year, when 26 people were killed during heavy rains. Another 17 people died in flooding and landslides in December.

Experts warn that climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of flooding in Sri Lanka, which depends heavily on monsoon rains for agriculture and hydropower.

By Sabina Mammadli