At least 200 people have died in mudslides and floods in Sri Lanka, the government reports. Buried highways and submerged roads are hampering efforts to get food, water and medicines to survivors.
Image: Reuters/D. Liyanawatte
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On Wednesday, Sri Lanka's Disaster Management Centre reported that at least 202 people had died after last week's mudslides and floods. Nearly 100 remain missing. The heavy rains and their aftermath have displaced more than 77,000 people and destroyed more than 1,500 homes since last Friday.
"The military was able to facilitate access to three landslide areas only yesterday," military spokesperson Roshan Seneviratne told the Thomson Reuters Foundation late Tuesday. "Hundreds of army personnel were deployed to remove the soil mounts from the landslides."
For now, Sri Lanka's army, navy and air force plan to continue relief and rescue efforts, supported by divers and navy personnel who have arrived from India. The United Nations, Australia, Japan and Pakistan also donated supplies, including water purification tablets and tents. The United States and China have pledged relief.
Severe floods and landslides batter Sri Lanka
More than half a million people have been displaced in Sri Lanka amid the worst floods and landslides in over a decade. There seems to be little respite ahead, as authorities warn of more heavy rain in the upcoming days.
Image: Imago/Xinhua
Mounting toll of dead and missing
Four days of severe floods and landslides in the southern and western parts of Sri Lanka have left more than 150 people dead. In excess of 110 people are reported missing while another 95 are currently hospitalized due to injuries. Most of the victims were killed by landslides when their hillside houses were buried under torrents of mud and rock.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/L. Wanniarachchi
Worst flooding in over a decade
The current spell of flooding is the worst since May 2003, when 250 people were killed and more than 10,000 houses were destroyed in similar circumstances. Last year, flooding and landslides claimed more than 100 lives on the island. Sri Lanka usually receives the heaviest rainfall from May till September, but heavy downpours can cause havoc in the northwest from November to February as well.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/I. S. Kodikara
Relief operations gain momentum
The Sri Lankan government said relief operations intensified on Sunday following a break in the downpours. The military has deployed helicopters, boats and amphibious vehicles to distribute aid. Meanwhile, the Colombo government has also sought international assistance, appealing to the United Nations and neighboring countries.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/E. Jayawardena
Authorities and civilians work hand in hand
More than 2,000 security personnel are taking part in the relief operations. They also have the assistance of some 10,000 civilian volunteers who are helping with the collection of dry rations, cooking meals and the transport of victims from the affected areas.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/E. Jaywardena
Damage to property
Approximately 2,000 houses were damaged or destroyed. Almost half a million people have been forced from their homes and are sheltering in government buildings or with friends and relatives. The charity organization Save the Children said about one-tenth of the displaced were aged below five.
Image: Imago/Xinhua
Looming threats
Residents in the south of the country also face the threat of crocodile attacks after a river known for its dangerous wildlife burst its banks overnight. Fears of stagnant floodwaters becoming breeding grounds for dengue-spreading mosquitoes are also widespread, with children being most vulnerable. Medical teams were sent to the worst-hit areas to help prevent an outbreak of waterborne diseases.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/I. S. Kodikara
The worst is over - but more is coming
Sri Lanka’s Disaster Management Center (DMC) has extended a weather alert in seven of the country's 25 districts, warning of heavy showers and possible landslides on Monday and Tuesday as well.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/I. S. Kodikara
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The UN office in Sri Lanka reports that authorities have fully or partially evacuated 16 hospitals directly affected by floods or landslides. Growing displacement and a lack of space in temporary shelters have left many people at risk of disease, the United Nations reports. Sri Lanka has seen a significant increase in mosquito-borne dengue fever this year, with more than 125 deaths.
Mudslides have become common during Sri Lanka's summer monsoon season as corporations clear forests across the tropical Indian Ocean island nation for export crops such as tea and rubber. A massive landslide a year ago killed more than 100 people in central Sri Lanka.
