Sri Lanka floods, mudslides kill 7; schools shut, 3,500 evacuated

Floods and mudslides triggered by heavy rains have left at least seven people dead in Sri Lanka's tea-growing mountainous regions and forced the closure of some schools, officials said on Tuesday.

Heavy downpours over the last two days flooded homes, fields and roads in many parts of the country. The mountainous areas in the central region are the worst hit, according to the government's Disaster Management Centre.

At least five people died after being buried in mudslides that overran two houses in the central region, while two others died in floods, said Pradeep Kodippili, the centre's spokesperson. Three others have been injured. He said 291 houses had been damaged and nearly 3,500 people have been evacuated.

Navy and army personnel have been deployed to rescue those trapped in the floods. Local television channel Hiru TV showed troops and civilians rescuing people trapped by floodwaters in their homes or at risk of being buried by mudflows.

Local channels also showed huge rocks, mudslides and fallen electric posts blocking several roads in the central region.

The natural disaster comes as Sri Lanka is still trying to recover from the devastation in November caused by Cyclone Ditwa, which killed nearly 640 people, affected two million (20 lakh) people and caused an estimated USD 4.1 billion in damage.

The central province was the hardest hit by Ditwa and the government is struggling to rebuild roads, railways and houses.

Mudslides and floods are among the most destructive natural disasters, causing severe damage to lives and property in Sri Lanka every year. Heavy monsoon rains mostly trigger mudslides in the central hill region while flooding low-lying areas, forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes.