Floods and landslides claim 14 lives, 250,000 affected

News

Two days of heavy rains triggering off floods and landslides have claimed 14 lives and left two missing as nearly 250,000 were affected across eight districts.

The latest report from the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said that five of the deaths were reported from the Kegalle district followed by three in Ratnapura, two in Gampaha and one each in Colombo, Kalutara, Puttalam and Galle.

Water levels in some of the rivers were still rising with warnings for people to be alert about possible floods. The Kelani River was among them.

The most serious incident reported so far was from Aranayaka, where a family of four was killed in a landslide on Saturday morning.

The family had been living in an area vulnerable to landslides and had stayed on until they completed their new house and move in.

The son had worked in Maldives and earned to complete the new house, but was still in the process of completing it and moving in.

At least three others were killed in landslides and the rest were swept away by flooded rivers or streams.

The Gampaha district was the most affected with 160,000 affected followed by Colombo where about 50,000 have been affected. The other districts affected are Ratnapura, Puttalam, Kalutara, Nuwara Eliya, Kegalle, Kandy, Kurunegala and Galle.

The majority of the affected residents were able to remain in their homes while some 20,000 people were evacuated to camps or moved into houses of relatives.

(Pix by Pushpa Kumara)

Comments

Still No Comments Posted.

Leave Comments

Most Reviews

May 31, 2025

- 506 - 0

Flt Lt Kasun Cumaratunga , more than a pilot, a guardian remembered on his 37th death anniversary

Kasun, was born in 28th Sept 1964, the grandson of the legendary author and linguist Munidasa Cumaratunga and son of SSP Bindu Kumaratunga and Winifred

June 2, 2025

- 473 - 0

National Tax week launched

The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) backed by the Excise and Customs Department today launched a fresh drive to collect taxes including some Rs.780 billion listed as ‘collectable defaults’.

June 2, 2025

- 373 - 0

SriLankan Airlines’ new A330 Fleet to perform low fly past over Colombo on Wed.

June 3, 2025

- 218 - 0

Krishanthi Kumaraswami convicts FR dismissed by SC

The Supreme Court today unanimously dismissed a Fundamental Rights petition filed by five convicts in the 1996 Krishanthi Kumaraswamy abduction, rape, and murder case.

June 6, 2025

- 216 - 0

SriLankan flight grounded in Indonesia

A SriLankan airlines flight has been grounded in an airport in Indonesia due to a technical defect leaving 93 passengers stranded, an official said.

June 5, 2025

- 176 - 0

Former Sri Lanka spinner Sachithra Senanayake indicted

Former international spinner Sachithra Senanayake is set to become the first Sri Lankan cricketer indicted under the country’s Prevention of Offences Relating to Sports Act (Act No. 24 of 2019).