15 dead, over 60,000 families affected by rains

COLOMBO: Fifteen persons have died and nearly 60,000 families have been affected by the torrential rains that lashed the country, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said.

The affected Districts are Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Galle, Matara, Puttalam, Ratnapura, Badulla, Kegalle and Kurunegala.

In Colombo the water level at Nagalagam Street was 4.22 feet on Saturday. More than 17,000 families have been affected in Colombo.

The DMC coordinator sent officers to Ratmalana, Thimbirigasyaya, Kolonnawa, Kesbewa and Kotte Divisional Secretaries' offices to arrange the clearing of canals. Divisional Secretariat Divisions affected in Gampaha are Wattala, Attanagalla, Negombo, Kelaniya, Gampaha, Katana, Ja-Ela and Minuwangoda.

The number of families affected is 29,276 and the number of people affected is 109,650. One death has also been recorded.

Five temporary camps have been set up in Wattala and three in Gampaha. The roads which were blocked includes the Katunayake Main Highway. Four boats were sent to the Ja-ela Divisional Secretary to evacuate people.

Another four boats were sent to Katunayake to evacuate people from two storyed houses near Guregewatta, six boats to Katana Divisional Secretary and one boat was sent to Gampaha, Kurumbalpitiya Grama Niladhari Division North Makavita North to evacuate people.

Divisional Secretariat Divisions affected in Kalutara are Palidanuwara, Beruwala, Kalutara, Dodangoda,

Walallawita, Bulathsinhala, Horana and Bandaragama. The total number of families affected is 4,478. Twenty eight houses have been fully damaged and 10 houses were partially damaged.

The Divisional Secretariat divisions affected in Galle include Neluwa and Yakkamulla.

The number of families affected is 77, the number of people affected is 385, while there have been three deaths. One house has been fully damaged while some roads were blocked.

The Divisional Secretariat divisions affected in Matara include Athuraliya, Akuressa, Mulatiyana, Malimbada and Weligama.

Kamburupitiya -Mulatiyana main road; Akuressa - Godapitiya Road and Akuressa - Kamburupitiya road are under water. The divisional secretariat Divisions in Puttalam affected are Dankotuwa, Mahawewa and Naththandiya. The number of families affected is 466 and the number of people affected is 2,330.

There has been one death. Eleven houses have been fully damaged and five partially. Around 50 camps housing Internally Displaced People from the North have been flooded. Deduru Oya, Lunu Oya and Baththalau Oya are overflowing.

Ratnapura was given two motor boats and 15 'Angulas' to evacuate people and provide relief. Kuruwita Divisional Secretariat division has been affected while 47 people from 17 families have been affected. No deaths have been reported and no houses have been damaged.

Badulla, Bandarawela and Passara have been affected by landslides. Twenty six families have been affected. One person has died and seven houses have been partially damaged. Deraniyagala, Ruwanwella, Yatiyantota, Bulathkohupitiya and Dehiowita in the Kegalle Divisional Secretariat have been affected.

Forty four families have been affected including 220 people. Three houses have been fully damaged and 26 partially.

Seventy five families including 375 people have been affected in the Kurunegala divisional secretariat division. There have been six deaths while 49 houses have been fully damaged, 72 have been partially damaged.

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President directs relief effort

COLOMBO: President Mahinda Rajapaksa has directed the Disaster Management and Human Rights Ministry and other relevant Government institutions to provide swift relief for flood and landslide victims islandwide.

Disaster Management Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe and his officials have toured most of the flood affected districts (Colombo, Kalutara, Gampaha, Puttalam, Galle, Ratnapura, Badulla, Kegalle and Kurunegala), coordinating relief efforts.

Regional political representatives and Government officials have been directed to look into the needs of those displaced by the floods and landslide threats. They are being provided with temporary shelter, dry rations and sanitary facilities.

The President has also expressed his sympathies to the families of the 13 persons who lost their lives as a result of the massive floods.