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Floods caused by days of torrential rain have displaced more than 100,000 people in Sri Lanka, latest government data showed yesterday. |
The Disaster Management Centre said that 26,688 families comprising 109,075 people have been affected by the rain, floods and landslides as of yesterday afternoon, Xinhua reported.
At least 23 people were killed and one person remains missing.
More than 40 houses have been completely destroyed due to heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding in six districts while 101 more homes have been partially damaged.
Most of the deaths and damage have been reported from the Kalutara district in Western Province and relief efforts are going on, Disaster Management Minister Mahinda Amaraweera told reporters.
“We are providing compensation of Rs15,000 (about $115) to people who have lost family members. There has been criticism this is not enough but this is all that has been allocated from the finance ministry,” he said.
In Western Province 148 schools re-opened after being closed due to adverse weather conditions earlier in the week, the provincial council said.
Nearly 30,000 of the affected people are being housed in schools, temples and community halls.
“The flood situation is expected to get worse closer to the southern coastal areas as the rivers which flow into the sea from these areas are rising,” an official with the Disaster Management Centre said.
President Mahinda Rajapakse tweeted on Monday that he had instructed his officials to “expedite relief measures to communities affected by the bad weather”.
Security forces and police have initiated flood relief measures to rescue people trapped or marooned due to rising water levels and roads being inundated.