One person died and 20,145 persons belonging to 4,755 families were affected due to the inclement weather condition that prevailed across the country for the past two days, said Disaster Management Centre (DMC) Director Pradeep Koddippili yesterday.
He added that three persons have also been reported missing due to heavy rains experienced in almost all parts of the country.
The DMC said that two houses have been fully damaged while 115 houses had minor damages following heavy downpour.
Meanwhile, the National Building Research Organization (NBRO) yesterday issued red alerts to Kalutara, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura Districts of possible earth slips which are valid till 4 p m today.
The NBRO has also declared Walallawita, Ingiriya, Palindanuwa, Bulathsinhala, Ambagamuwa, Kalawana, and Eheliyagoda Divisional Secretariat Divisions as earthship prone areas.
First level alerts for earthships have been issued to several Divisional Secretariat areas in the Galle, Kalutara, Colombo, Kegalle, Nuwara Eliya Districts due to the incessant rains.
“The DMC said that there is possibility of floods in urban areas in the Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara Districts and minor floods may arise in low lying areas in the Palindanuwara, Bulathsinhala, Gampaha districts adjacent to the Maguru Ganga and Aththanagaluoya,” DMC Director Kodippili said.
He also said that if there is high rainfall in the upper reaches of the main rivers in the near future, significant flooding may occur. The Director said that the Irrigation Department is constantly paying attention to the matter and mentioned that if a dangerous situation occurs, early warning notices will be issued.
He said that the people of the risky areas as well as the drivers should pay attention to it. Due to the turbulent nature of the lower atmosphere around the island, today (15) the sky will be cloudy in many parts of the island and there will be occasional rain or thundershowers in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central and North-Western provinces and the Galle and Matara Districts.
The Department of Meteorology stated that there is a possibility of more than 100 mm of heavy rain in some places in Western, Sabaragamuwa and Central provinces and in Galle and Matara Districts.
The troops of the 8th Sinha Regiment were deployed to rescue four people who were trapped in a two storied house due to the collapse of an earthen mound near the Koswatta junction on the Agurwella-Warakapola road.
One person (the father) was rescued from that group and sent to the Warakapola Hospital for treatment, while the army is continuing to work to rescue the others. The house has been completely destroyed by the landslide. The Warakapola Police and the villagers, supported by the Army, had launched an operation to find the other people inside the house despite the torrential rains.
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