Five dead as Sri Lanka’s tea region hit by devastating floods and mudslides - The Independent

The disaster comes as the country is still trying to recover from devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwa in November

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Heavy rains have forced the closure of schools across Sri Lanka 's mountainous tea-growing regions, as floods and mudslides claimed five lives and injured three others, officials confirmed on Tuesday.

The relentless downpours over the past 48 hours have caused widespread devastation, inundating homes, agricultural land, and transport routes. The central mountainous areas are bearing the brunt of the severe weather, as reported by the government's Disaster Management Center.

Pradeep Kodippili, spokesperson for the centre, stated that five fatalities occurred when mudslides engulfed two homes in the central region. Three individuals sustained injuries, and two people remain unaccounted for.

Mr Kodippili added that 129 houses suffered damage from the deluge, necessitating the evacuation of almost 2,000 residents.

Navy and army troops have been deployed to rescue people trapped in the floods and help them move to safe places.

Local television channel Hiru TV showed troops and civilians rescuing people trapped in their homes because of the floods and facing the risk of being buried by mudflows.

Local channels also showed huge rocks, mudslides and fallen electric posts on several main roads in the central region, blocking traffic in some parts of the area.

The latest disaster comes as the country is still trying to recover from the devastation in November caused by Cyclone Ditwa that killed nearly 640 people, affected two million people and caused an estimated $4.1 billion in damage.

The Central province was the hardest hit by that cyclone and the government is struggling to rebuild roads, railways and houses in the region.

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.