Jakarta, hitclubapk3 Indonesia
—
Flood
and a landslide struck
Sri Lanka
after heavy rain fell on the South Asian country last week.At least 123 people were reported to have died as of Saturday (29/11).
The Sri Lanka Disaster Management Center (DMC) reports that currently 130 people are still missing in this disaster.
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Director General Sampath Kotuwegoda said rescue operations were underway and 43,995 people had been evacuated.
DMC reported that floods and landslides occurred after Cyclone Ditwah hit Sri Lanka on Wednesday (26/11) causing heavy rain for a week.
The cyclone is recorded as having moved away from Sri Lanka, but its impact is still being felt.Damage occurs everywhere.
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Flooding in low-lying areas worsened on Saturday until authorities ordered residents to evacuate.One of the areas affected is the banks of the Kelani River, which carries water from Colombo to the Indian Ocean.
According to DMC, the Kelani River overflowed on Friday (28/11) evening.Hundreds of residents were ordered to evacuate to temporary shelters.
The Sri Lankan government has deployed armed forces to strengthen rescue and relief operations across the country.Authorities deployed military helicopters and boats to evacuate trapped residents.
DMC officials estimate the current scale of flooding in Sri Lanka will be worse than in 2016 when 71 people died across the country.
The death toll from this week’s weather is the highest since June last year, when 26 people died in the flood.
The worst floods Sri Lanka has experienced since the turn of the century occurred in June 2003. At that time, 254 people died.
Officials meanwhile said India had sent a relief plane for flood and landslide victims in Sri Lanka on Saturday morning.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences for the death toll in Sri Lanka and stressed that New Delhi was ready to send more aid.
“We are ready to provide more assistance and assistance as the situation develops,” Modi said at X, as quoted by AFP.
(blq/chri)
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