by Norman Palihawadane

Seven persons have been killed by landslides and floods. The deaths have been reported from Matara Deiyahdara, Eheliyagoda, Bulathsinhala and Avissawella. Two person have gone missing.

Three members of the same family including a seven-year-old girl drowned in a swollen canal during heavy rains at Kiriella in Puwakpitiya yesterday. The victims were a 36-year-old woman, her 78-year-old father and her seven-year-old daughter. The incident occurred between 2.00 and 3.00 a.m. yesterday near their house.

Another person died when a mound of earth collapsed on him at Puwakpitiya, Avissawella.

Train services on the Kelani Valley line were distrupted by the collapse of a railway bridge between Waga and Kosgama yesterday.

At least two persons had gone missing in the Thawalama in Galle due to floods, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) sources said, adding that an operation had been launched in search of the two missing individuals.Pregnant women and patients had been airlifted from Neluwa Hospital, affected by floods, to the Udugama Hospital, Galle District Medical Specialist Dr. Amila Chandrasiri told the media.

Relief teams from the Navy and Army were deployed to carry out rescue and relief operations in the Thawalama, Neluwa, Udugama and Hiniduma areas in the Galle District.Two flights arriving at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake were diverted to Mattala Airport due to extreme weather conditions.

SriLankan Airlines flight, UL 309 from Singapore, and an Etihad Airways flight, EY 394 from Abu Dhabi, had been redirected to

Mattala because adverse weather around Katunayake prevented them from landing at BIA, airport authorities said.

Meanwhile, SriLankan Airlines has sent a new crew from Colombo to Mattala for the UL 309 SriLankan Airlines flight from Singapore, which landed at Mattala International Airport, to bring the flight back to the BIA.

The replacement had been necessary because the original crew’s shift had expired after a five-hour delay caused by a technical fault, the authorities said.The power supply in several parts of the Galle, Kalutara, Ratnapura, Colombo and Kegalle districts as a precautionary measure due to heavy showers and floods, the Ministry of Power and Energy said.

Meanwhile, Traffic on the Colombo-Kandy main road came to a standstill as a tree fell across the road near the Warakapola town yesterday.Police spokesman Nihal Thalduwa asked motorists to use alternative routes.

The National Building Research Organization (NBRO) yesterday issued early warnings for landslides in the Colombo, Hambantota, Kalutara, Kandy, Matara, Nuwara Eliya, Galle, Ratnapura and Kegalle districts.

The NBRO warning called on those in these areas to be watchful for sudden appearance of water sprouts, cracks on walls and the ground.

The Department of Meteorology has said heavy showers of about 100mm are likely to occur in some places in Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Galle and Matara districts.

The Department of Irrigation said that a major flood situation had developed in the Kelani, Nilwala and Gin river basins. The Department warned that there could be floods in low-lying areas of Kuda Ganga and Maguru Ganga valleys situated in Bulathsinhala, Madurawala and Palinda Nuwara D/S Divisions.

Areas including Dehiovita, Ruwanwella, Seethawaka, Dompe, Homagama, Kaduwela, Biyagama, Kolonnawa, and Wattala D/S Divisions of the Kalu River are at risk of experiencing flood situations.

There is a possibility of floods in low-lying areas of the Gin Ganga valley in Neluwa, Thawalama, Nagoda, Niyagama, Welivitiya-Divithura, Elpitiya, Akmeemana, Baddegama, and Bope-Poddala D/S Divisions.

Low-lying areas of the Nilwala River valley situated in Pasgoda, Kotapola, Pitabeddara, Akuressa, Athuraliya, Malimbada, Thihagoda, Kamburupitiya, Matara, and Devinuwara D/S Divisions are at risk of experiencing flood situations.

Residents in these areas have been asked to remain vigilant and exercise caution.

Ten Navy flood relief teams have been dispatched to the affected areas of Bulathsinhala, Puwakpitiya, Palindanuwara, Welipanna in the Kalutara district, Thavalama in the Galle district and Akurassa and Panadugama in the Matara district to carry out rescue and relief operation.

In addition, 116 Navy relief teams, including units from the Rapid Action Boat Squadron, Special Boat Squadron, and Navy Marines, are on standby. They are prepared to be deployed immediately to assist the public in the event of flooding.