Sri Lanka races to rescue flood victims as 500,000 displaced

An aerial view of inundated area of Kiriella, in Ratnapura district of Sri Lanka

Helicopters searched in Sri Lanka yesterday through piles of mud for people still marooned after rain-triggered floods and mudslides inundated villages last Thursday, killing at least 169 people and leaving 102 others missing, officials say.

According to several media reports, up to half a million people have been displaced due to the torrential rains and severe flooding.

The rains caused part of Kiribathgala Hill to come crashing down, burying the 15 homes and their 26 inhabitants under huge rocks, mud and fallen coconut trees, village officer Udari Erabedda said. Soldiers have recovered 12 bodies, including those of two women and a child dug out yesterday. The others remain missing.

The hill in Sri Lanka’s Ratnapura district, known for gems and precious stones, is 120 kilometers (75 miles) southeast of the capital, Colombo. Most residents make their living by tending small plots of tea or spices, or by working in nearby gem mines.

With more rain expected, rescuers are racing to evacuate villagers from the most vulnerable areas around the country. Already, more than 75,000 people have taken shelter in 337 relief camps set up in the south and west.

Army boats skimmed along water-filled village streets, while flood victims waded through the brackish waters to army trucks carrying relief supplies.

“We are displaced and have no place to go,” said Rathana Kumari, who fled her flooded home with her family and took refuge on the Southern Expressway, a highway linking Colombo with the cities of Matara and Galle. “Now we are extremely helpless with our little children. […] Today, we didn’t get anything to eat.”

The United Nations said it is donating water purification tablets, tents and other supplies for the displaced. India sent two shiploads of goods and some medical staff, and the United States and Pakistan also promised relief supplies.

Mudslides have become common during Sri Lanka’s summer monsoon season as forests across the tropical Indian Ocean island nation have been cleared for export crops such as tea and rubber. MDT/AP