COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — The death toll from the devastating floods and landslides which have hit Sri Lanka since last Friday rose to 177 with 109 people still missing, according to data from the Disaster Management Center (DMC) on Monday.
Rescue operations are ongoing, and bodies are still being pulled out of the debris as many continue to mourn the loss of their loved ones.
Sri Lanka’s meteorological department continues to warn residents of adverse weather conditions.
At least 102 people were missing and 88 were seeking treatment at state hospitals.
Over 500,000 people had been displaced by the floods and 48,000 homes had been damaged or destroyed, the DMC said.
Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena, who visited one of the worst affected districts of Ratnapura 70 kilometers from the capital city Colombo in south Sri Lanka, assured the victims of new homes and appreciated the continuous support and assistance extended by the forces.
He also ordered authorities to provide immediate relief to the people.
More than 70 have been killed in Ratnapura and the numbers are still rising, while the city remained submerged by 10 feet high water until Sunday morning, when the water began to recede and residents started to return back to their homes to check out their losses.
“There were trees here. This was a beautiful mountain with thickets, we never thought such a disaster will happen here. The two houses which were up there are deep under the mud,” said Vijay Thunga, a local Ratnapura resident.
While extensive rescue operations are ongoing, many fear there are still bodies buried under the debris.
The authorities of flooded villages have come up with temporary solutions by distributing small packages of relief materials with water.
“We are used to rains and flooding in our area. But this year it has been unusual. We have never experienced such floods in 70 years in this village,” Mudith Sumanasekara, another local Ratnapura resident.
The Chinese government has promised to offer humanitarian aid worth 15 million yuan to Sri Lanka while Pakistan and Canada have also offered to help. (Reuters)
