Torrential rains continue to deluge island
nation, with hundreds of thousands in temporary shelters
By Jamie Grierson
Torrential rains have deluged the island
nation since last weekend, triggering huge landslides that have buried victims
in up to 15 metres (50 feet) of mud.
In the capital, Colombo, thousands of homes
remained inundated, though there were signs that the waters were receding,
according to AP. About 243,000 people remained in temporary shelters
nationwide.
As the heaviest rains in a quarter of a
century battered Sri Lanka, cyclone Roanu barrelled into the Bangladesh
coastline leaving six people dead and forcing the evacuation of 500,000 as it
unleashed winds as strong as 54mph and heavy downpours.
Soldiers looked for bodies in thick mud
deposits in the central district of Kegalle, where landslides swallowed up
three villages on Tuesday.
Major Gen Sudantha Ranasinghe, who is
coordinating the search, said one body and parts of another were found on
Saturday. From the landslides in the three villages, 21 people have been
confirmed dead and 123 others are missing. Ranasinghe said another part of the
same mountain crashed down Saturday, but there were no casualties because
residents had been evacuated after the first landslides.
As civilians volunteered to provide food and
clothing to the affected people, foreign assistance was arriving after an
appeal by Sri Lanka’s foreign minister. India and Japan sent relief items
including medicine, tents, tarpaulin sheets, generators and water purifiers.
Japan will also send disaster management experts to help expedite relief
efforts and look at ways to reduce landslide risks, the Japanese embassy in
Colombo said. The US has announced a three-year project to help Sri Lanka
maintain supplies of safe drinking water even during times of drought and
flooding.
As aid began to arrive on Saturday, Sri
Lankan authorities said their priority was now preventing diseases such as
diarrhoea, with many areas still under water. “We have sent a large number of
doctors and nursing staff to ensure there is no outbreak of waterborne
diseases,” the health minister, Rajitha Senaratne, told AFP.
The accommodation booking website Airbnb
listed at least 29 places offering free lodging for anyone affected by the
floods in Sri Lanka. Disaster management officials said there had been a huge
outpouring of sympathy for victims with donations of food, clothing and dry
rations.
The meteorological department said the rains
were caused by a depression in the Bay of Bengal, ahead of the arrival of the
south-west monsoon.
About 22 of Sri Lanka’s 25 districts have
been affected by the rains, according to disaster officials. Almost a third of
residents have been moved from the low-lying capital, which has a population of
about 650,000.
