Sri Lanka battered by heavy rains: Floods and landslides kill 31, 14 still missing

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu) – Torrential rains, floods and devastating landslides have wreaked widespread devastation in Sri Lanka for the past 11 days. Sri Lanka's Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said on Thursday that 31 people have died so far due to these disasters, while nearly 4,000 have been affected.

According to official information, 18 people have died in the central hill districts alone. In a horrific incident, a passenger bus got trapped in rising waters in Kumbukkana, after which emergency teams successfully rescued 23 passengers, reported the Daily Mirror online. The Adaderana news portal reported that about 10 people were injured, while 14 were reported missing. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has called a meeting to review the deteriorating situation in 17 of the 25 administrative districts. According to the Meteorological Bureau, a low pressure area formed in the southeast of the country, which later intensified into a depression. According to the bureau, it is currently located 210 kilometers southeast of Batticaloa.

"It is very likely to move northwestwards and intensify into a deep depression over the next 12 hours," the bureau said. Rainfall of more than 200 mm is forecast in various parts of the country, the bureau said. Previously, in October 2024, heavy rains caused flooding in many parts of the country, including the capital Colombo and its suburbs, affecting more than 134,000 people. Schools in Colombo were closed. In some areas, water reached the roofs of houses and shops.