Inclement weather rocks country:
Eight die, thousands hit
The gusty winds that blew across the Southern coastal belt left eight
persons dead and affected thousands yesterday. A total of 6,153 persons
belonging to 1,281 families were affected by the inclement weather
around the country.
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Traffic
affected by floods |
Matara district reported the highest number of people affected by the
bad weather.
The Police and Security Forces along with government officials were
deployed to provide relief to the affected. Over 120 houses were fully
damaged and 1,025 houses partially damaged by the gale.
According to a spokesman at the Disaster Management Centre, the
highest number of deaths were reported from the Matara district.
Traffic on many roads in the Matara, Galle and Hambantota districts
were obstructed due to trees falling on roads while the power supply was
also interrupted in the area. The highest number of affected persons
were reported from the Matara and Weligama Divisional Secretariat
divisions.
Roofs of a number of houses including schools in the Matara district
were blown off.
Badulla, Batticaloa, Moneragala, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa
districts also experienced heavy rain. Sluice gates of Nachchaduwa tank
and Kala Wewa in the Anuradhapura district were opened with the water
reaching spill level.
Over 700 persons belonging to 204 families were affected in the
Batticaloa district.
A number of schools and houses were partly damaged due to the gusty
winds experienced along the coastal belt from Tangalle to Ambalangoda.
According to the Matara District Disaster Management Co-ordinator
Capt S C K Balasooriya the wind cause damages to many properties in the
coastal belt. Roofs of many houses in the coastal belt in Matara have
been blown away. Disaster Management Centre officials said the damage
caused by the gusty winds has not been estimated.
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