13 killed, 15,000 displaced as rains cause havoc

Ranil Wijayapala and Ramani Kangaraarachchi

COLOMBO: Rains that lashed the East, Central, Uva and Southern provinces from Wednesday has caused 13 deaths following land slides in the Nuwara Eliya district and has displaced more than 15,000 in several districts, the Disaster Management Centre said yesterday.

Rescue teams assisted by Air Force helicopters were immediately called in yesterday to evacuate thousands of people marooned in some villages in Pathiyapelella area after several villages were unaccessible due to landslides in the area.

Eleven people were killed when they were caught in landslides in Walapane, Liayanwala and Maduamana yesterday.

The Disaster Management Centre quoting the Walapane Divisional Secretary reported last evening that another 15 people were feared dead after they were washed to the Belihuloya in the landslides.

Air Force spokesperson Group Captain Ajantha Silva said the Air Force arranged two helicopters from Hingurakgoda and one from Colombo after receiving information about the bad weather in the area disrupting rescue operations.

According to reports 3,000 people have been marooned in Mathurata and nearly 1,000 people in Pathiyapelella areas, as these areas became unaccessible following the landslides.

Heavy rains in Walapane, Diyanilla, Madulla and Hanguranketha have displaced a large number of people and a special operation unit has been established to assist them under the instructions of Livestock and Infrastructure Development Minister C.B. Ratnayake.

The Disaster Management Centre also said floods have been reported in Hambantota, Lunugamvehera and Tissamaharama Divisional Secretariat areas displacing more than 11,000 people.

The Human Rights and Disaster Management Ministry has taken steps to provide relief to the affected and release funds to the District Secretaries to provide immediate assistance for the displaced.

Soldiers and officers attached to the Army Engineering Regiment were called in yesterday to repair the Yodhakandiya tank bund that developed a crack following heavy rains that lashed the area since Wednesday.

The Army deployed more than 150 soldiers attached to the Engineering Regiment to repair the damages and also to replace a damaged bridge at Yodhakandiya with a temporary bridge.