Sri Lanka landslides, floods death toll rises to 56, offices, schools shut | News

Due to bad weather conditions, the government has announced the closure of all government offices and schools.

Sri Lanka has closed government offices and schools as the death toll from floods and landslides across the country has risen to 56, while more than 600 homes have been damaged, according to officials.

Sri Lanka was battling severe weather last week and the situation worsened on Thursday as heavy rains caused flooding of homes, farms and roads and triggered landslides across the country.

More than 25 people were killed Thursday in landslides in the central mountainous tea-growing regions of Badulla and Nuwara Eliya, about 300 km (186 miles) east of the capital Colombo.

Another 21 people are missing and 14 are injured in the Badulla and Nuwara Eliya areas, according to the government’s disaster management center, cited by the Associated Press news agency.

Others died in landslides in different parts of the country.

daily life was greatly affected

As weather conditions worsened, the government announced the closure of all government offices and schools on Friday.

Due to heavy rains, most of the reservoirs and rivers are in spate, blocking roads. Authorities halted passenger trains and closed roads in several parts of the country after rocks, mud and trees fell on roads and railway tracks, which also caused flooding in some areas.

Local television showed an air force helicopter rescuing three people trapped on the roof of a flooded house on Thursday, while the navy and police used boats to transport residents.

Footage on Thursday showed a car being swept away in flood waters near the eastern city of Ampara, killing three passengers.