Sri Lanka: Over 100 dead following torrential rain

Sri Lanka: Over 100 dead following torrential rain

By Iqbal Athas, for CNN

Updated 0424 GMT (1224 HKT) May 25, 2016

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Story highlights

Over 100 people dead following torrential rains and landslides
Sri Lanka's military is airdropping food and water to affected areas

Colombo, Sri Lanka (CNN)As torrential rains in Sri Lanka finally recede, authorities are attempting to manage hundreds of thousands of displaced people, while rescuers continue to search for those who may have been engulfed by landslides.
At least 101 people died following several days of incessant rain, the country's Disaster Management Center (DMC) said.
At least 111,900 people are living in temporary shelters.
As many as 47 bodies have been recovered from two landslide sites and over 180 people are still missing, the Sri Lankan Red Cross Society says.
Rescuers are searching for dozens of other people reported missing after mud and rock buried residential areas, the nation's Disaster Management Center said.

The death toll is expected to go up as rescue teams reach some of the worst-hit areas, authorities said.
For the rest of the week, Sri Lanka will likely be experiencing scattered rainfall that occurs just a couple weeks before the monsoon season, CNN meteorologist Sean Morris says.
Various nations, including India, Australia, Nepal and Japan, are bringing in aid supplies such as blankets, water purification tablets and drinking water.
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People seek refuge under an overpass next to a railway track in Colombo on May 17.
10 photos: Flooding in Sri Lanka displaces over 340,000
People seek refuge under an overpass next to a railway track in Colombo on May 17.
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Flood victims flock around a bus to receive food parcels on a inundated road in Colombo on May 17.
10 photos: Flooding in Sri Lanka displaces over 340,000
Flood victims flock around a bus to receive food parcels on a inundated road in Colombo on May 17.
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A landslide in Aranayake in central Sri Lanka buried three villages.
10 photos: Flooding in Sri Lanka displaces over 340,000
A landslide in Aranayake in central Sri Lanka buried three villages.
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Sri Lanka's Red Cross said over 200 families were initially missing in the landslide but rescue teams had managed to save over 180 individuals.
10 photos: Flooding in Sri Lanka displaces over 340,000
Sri Lanka's Red Cross said over 200 families were initially missing in the landslide but rescue teams had managed to save over 180 individuals.
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The rains are expected to move towards the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
10 photos: Flooding in Sri Lanka displaces over 340,000
The rains are expected to move towards the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
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A member of a Sri Lankan Army rescue team carries an elderly woman to safety through floodwaters in Colombo on Wednesday, May 17, 2016. At least 19 were killed in the flooding or flood-triggered landslides. Army and navy teams have been deployed to rescue people marooned by the flooding.
10 photos: Flooding in Sri Lanka displaces over 340,000
A member of a Sri Lankan Army rescue team carries an elderly woman to safety through floodwaters in Colombo on Wednesday, May 17, 2016. At least 19 were killed in the flooding or flood-triggered landslides. Army and navy teams have been deployed to rescue people marooned by the flooding.
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The worst hit was the northern town of Kilinochchi, which recorded a rainfall of 372 mm during the 24 hours ending Tuesday, a quarter of what it usually receives every year.<br /><br />
10 photos: Flooding in Sri Lanka displaces over 340,000
The worst hit was the northern town of Kilinochchi, which recorded a rainfall of 372 mm during the 24 hours ending Tuesday, a quarter of what it usually receives every year.

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A roadside statue of Jesus Christ is submerged by floodwaters in Pugoda, about 35 km (22 mi) from Colombo on May 17.
10 photos: Flooding in Sri Lanka displaces over 340,000
A roadside statue of Jesus Christ is submerged by floodwaters in Pugoda, about 35 km (22 mi) from Colombo on May 17.
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Over 340,000 people have been forced to flee their homes, the Disaster Management Center said. About 200,000 people are currently being housed in hundreds of welfare centers across the country.
10 photos: Flooding in Sri Lanka displaces over 340,000
Over 340,000 people have been forced to flee their homes, the Disaster Management Center said. About 200,000 people are currently being housed in hundreds of welfare centers across the country.
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The heavy rains destroyed 211 houses and damaged another 236.
10 photos: Flooding in Sri Lanka displaces over 340,000
The heavy rains destroyed 211 houses and damaged another 236.
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People seek refuge under an overpass next to a railway track in Colombo on May 17.
10 photos: Flooding in Sri Lanka displaces over 340,000
People seek refuge under an overpass next to a railway track in Colombo on May 17.
Hide Caption
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Flood victims flock around a bus to receive food parcels on a inundated road in Colombo on May 17.

A landslide in Aranayake in central Sri Lanka buried three villages.
10 photos: Flooding in Sri Lanka displaces over 34
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Flooding in Sri Lanka displaces over 340,000
Sri Lanka's Red Cross said over 200 families were initially missing in the landslide but rescue teams had managed to save over 180 individuals.

The rains are expected to move towards the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
10 photos: Flooding in Sri Lanka displaces over 340,000
The rains are expected to move towards the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

A member of a Sri Lankan Army rescue team carries an elderly woman to safety through floodwaters in Colombo on Wednesday, May 17, 2016. At least 19 were killed in the flooding or flood-triggered landslides. Army and navy teams have been deployed to rescue people marooned by the flooding.


The worst hit was the northern town of Kilinochchi, which recorded a rainfall of 372 mm during the 24 hours ending Tuesday, a quarter of what it usually receives every year.

Over 340,000 people have been forced to flee their homes, the Disaster Management Center said. About 200,000 people are currently being housed in hundreds of welfare centers across the country.


The heavy rains destroyed 211 houses and damaged another 236.
10 photos: Flooding in Sri Lanka displaces over 340,000
The heavy rains destroyed 211 houses and damaged another 236.

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Sri Lanka's military is airdropping food and water to affected areas, authorities said.
Some of the worst-hit areas include the suburbs of Colombo, where the Kelani River passes through before ending in the Indian Ocean. In Wellampitiya suburb, police said water levels stood at over 8 feet after four days of rains.
Most festivities to mark the birth, death and enlightenment of Lord Buddha have been put on low-key status. Free-food centers for those viewing decorations on city streets have been drastically reduced to divert funds to the victims.
"We are now in control of the situation. We appreciate the prompt response of many countries," Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said.
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The government is advising those displaced not to return home in the next three days, according to Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, the minister of disaster management.
Food distribution will continue, he said.