Heavy rainfall in Sri Lanka this week resulted in devastating floods and landslides that claimed the lives of 31 individuals, with 14 individuals still missing, as confirmed by authorities on Thursday.
The majority of the fatalities occurred in the central tea-producing region of Badulla, where 16 individuals tragically perished as mountain slopes collapsed onto their residences overnight, according to a statement released by the Disaster Management Centre (DMC).
An additional four casualties were reported in the neighboring Nuwara Eliya district, while the rest of the deaths were scattered in other areas.
The destructive mudslides damaged nearly 400 households, forcing more than 1,100 families to seek refuge in temporary shelters.
The DMC issued warnings about rising river levels throughout Sri Lanka, advising residents in low-lying regions to relocate to higher ground.
The ongoing northeast monsoon season in Sri Lanka has been further intensified by a depression east of the island, leading to the surge in rainfall, the DMC reported.
Due to the adverse weather conditions, the government has decided to suspend nationwide final year school examinations for two days.
Forecasts projected over 100 millimeters of rainfall across Sri Lanka, with specific regions in the northeast anticipating up to 250 millimeters of precipitation on Thursday.
This week’s toll from the severe weather incidents marks the highest since June of the previous year, when heavy rains claimed the lives of 26 individuals. In December, 17 individuals lost their lives due to flooding and landslides.
Sri Lanka heavily relies on seasonal monsoon rains for agricultural irrigation and hydroelectric power, but experts have cautioned that the country is facing a heightened risk of frequent floods due to the impacts of climate change.