close
close
hsuses

Sri Lanka sends army after 26 people die in monsoon storms

Theo

At least 26 people have died in Sri Lanka due to heavy monsoon rains and landslides, the government said on Tuesday. It ordered the army to help tens of thousands of displaced people.

Another 42 people were injured, Deputy Defense Minister Premitha Tennakoon told parliament. In 23 of the island state’s 25 districts, 130,000 people had to leave their homes because of the floods.

“We…

At least 26 people have died in Sri Lanka due to heavy monsoon rains and landslides, the government said on Tuesday. It ordered the army to help tens of thousands of displaced people.

Another 42 people were injured, Deputy Defense Minister Premitha Tennakoon told parliament. In 23 of the island state’s 25 districts, 130,000 people had to leave their homes because of the floods.

“We have deployed the military to support the relief efforts,” Tennakoon said. “Boats have been deployed to support the delivery of relief supplies.”

Sri Lanka relies on seasonal monsoon rains for irrigation and electricity generation, but experts warn that flooding will become more frequent as the world warms due to climate change.

Sri Lanka’s main weather office predicted that rains would ease but said the risk of flooding had not diminished. Low-lying areas are still inundated.

Advertisement – Scroll to continue


The government had ordered all schools to remain closed on the Monday after the holiday weekend, and in the worst-hit southern province, several schools remained closed on Tuesday as well.

aj/pjm/ssy

Related Posts