A nation on edge as walls of mud, collapsing bridges and rising rivers swallow entire communities, leaving families searching for loved ones and officials warning that Colombo may face its worst flood in a decade.
Hasalaka Yahangala landslide.. Five bodies found..
A large number of people are missing after a powerful landslide occurred near the Yahangala mountain in Hasalaka. The police say that the bodies of five of them have already been found. At least twelve more people are believed to be missing as rescue teams struggle through unstable mud, heavy rain and dangerous slopes. Villagers say the landslide hit without warning and swallowed homes in seconds. The area remains extremely hazardous and emergency workers are racing against time to locate survivors.
Moragahakanda bridge breaks.. Traffic has stopped..
A bridge on the Moragahakanda Wellawaya road has broken. This happened after the Moragahakanda reservoir overflowed due to heavy rains, releasing a massive surge of water. Traffic on this road has come to a complete halt and several vehicles remain stranded. Engineers have warned that the surrounding embankments are unstable. The sudden collapse has disrupted travel between major towns and authorities fear further damage if rainfall continues at its current intensity.
Colombo to face flood worse than 2016.. Take what you can and leave.. Director General of Irrigation
Due to the prevailing weather conditions, a flood level worse than the 2016 flood level in Colombo is likely to occur tomorrow night, says Director General of the Irrigation Department Ajith Gunasakara. Considering the size of the water gauge located at Avissella in the Kelani River, he states that it is expected that Colombo will experience a flood level worse than the 2016 flood level tomorrow night or shortly after. Because of this, he advises Colombo residents to remove essential items such as education certificates and vehicle registrations and keep them safe. Information about flooding is also being reported from other parts of the country and the two tanks, Iginimitiya and Thabbowa, are already overflowing. Due to the overflow of these tanks, the Puttalam Anuradhapura road has been submerged and areas have been completely cut off. He also states that due to the overflow of the Deduru Oya reservoir, Chilaw town is likely to be submerged.
Kalu Ganga is overflowing.. A major flood in Ratnapura, Kalutara…
Based on the heavy rainfall currently being received in the Kalu Ganga basin and the analysis of the water gauge data maintained by the Irrigation Department in the Kalu Ganga basin, a major flood situation is expected to occur in the low lying areas of Pelmadulla, Nivitigala, Ratnapura, Kuruwita, Ayagama, Elapatha in the Ratnapura district and Kalutara, Ingiriya, Horana, Dodangoda, Millaniya, Bulathsinghala, Palindanuwara, Madurawala, Agalawatte Divisional Secretariat Divisions in the Kalutara district within the next few hours. The public in those areas and drivers and passengers travelling through those zones are requested to act with extreme caution. Officials warn that riverbanks are unstable and sudden water surges are possible.
The disaster has so far claimed 56 lives…
The Disaster Management Center reports that 56 people have died, 21 are missing and 14 have been injured due to accidents linked to the nationwide disaster situation. The center further reports that 43,991 people belonging to 12,313 families have been affected by the adverse weather conditions. The storm has impacted several districts and caused extensive damage to houses. The Disaster Management Center says that necessary steps are being taken to provide relief to the affected people through evacuation centers, distribution of dry rations and emergency medical care. Search teams continue to work day and night as the country braces for more rain and potential landslides.
