Death toll rises to 20

By Ifham Nizam

Disasters caused by continuing freak weather has raised the death toll to 20 yesterday from landslips, floods and electrocution since Monday.

The Meteorological Department official says all is not over as the low pressure area in the south-east Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a depression during next 36 hours and move West-Northwestwards towards North Tamil Nadu coast.

There can be very heavy showers or thundershowers, with strong winds up to (60-70) kmph associated with rough seas around the country.

The Disaster Management Centre yesterday stressed that it would obtain the support of police and even resort to legal remedy to remove people who refuse to relocate from landslide risk areas.

DMC Director General, Maj. Gen. (retd) Sudantha Ranasinghe warned that legal action would be taken against people who travelled to disaster-stricken areas unnecessarily.

The DMC Director General said Red Alert Landslide Warnings had been issued to multiple areas in the Kegalle, Kurunegala, and Kandy Districts.

Landslide Early Warnings were also issued prone areas in Badulla, Colombo, Kalutara, Galle, Ratnapura, Matale, and Nuwara Eliya Districts on Wednesday (10).

The 20 fatalities were reported from Badulla, Matale, Mullaitivu, Puttalam, Kurunegala, Kegalle and Galle districts.

The DMC says 126 Divisional Secretariat (DS) divisions in 17 districts have been affected by disasters caused by inclement weather.

Some 62,200 people from 17,481 families were afflicted.

Nearly 1,498 individuals displaced due to torrential rains are currently staying at 23 emergency shelters.

Eighteen houses in total have been destroyed while 960 have sustained partial damages.

Irrigation Department Director Hydrology/Disaster Management S.P.C. Sugeeshwara yesterday said flood levels had come down in most areas.

Level 3 (Red) alert has been issued to the following areas:

Kandy District – Harispattuwa, Doluwa Yatinuwara, Udapalatha, Pasbage Koral, Gangawata Korale, Udunuwara and Ganga Ihala Korale DS divisions

Kegalle District – Yatiyanthota, Ruwanwella, Rambukkana, Aranayake, Kegalle, Mawanella, Bulathkohupitiya, Warakapola, Dehiowita, Galigamuwa and Deraniyagala DS divisions

Kurunegala District – Mallawapitiya, Alawwa, Mawathagama, Polgahawela, Rideegama and Narammala DS divisions.