Earthslip buries girl,16, and mother
Over 170 families affected by rains:
Ridma Dissanayake and Dewahuwa Group Corr
The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) yesterday announced that around
485 persons belonging to 171 families in Southern and Central provinces
have been affected due to floods and landslides caused by heavy rains
that lashed several parts of the country yesterday.
The main road at Elehera went under water yesterday due to
incessant rains. Picture by Sarath Welagedera, Elahera
Special Corr |
Reports said one house in Thavalama, Galle had been completely
damaged and three houses in the Matale district have been partially
damaged. Galle, Matale, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts are the worst
affected.
“Around 400 persons belonging to 150 families in Weligamuwa, Matale
have been affected by floods and rains while another 68 persons of 17
families in the Oyapahala area had to be evacuated due to the threat of
landslides.Several families in Rattota, Kalubewala and Abangngakoralaya
have also been affected due to floods and landslides,” they added.
The DMC stated that a 16-year-old girl was killed and her mother
injured in the Matale area due to the earth caving in.
Meanwhile, an officer attached to the District Irrigation Office,
Matale said all main irrigation tanks in the district are near spill
level while some are already spilling due to the heavy rains received
during the last four days.
He said as they could open the spill gates of the Bowatenna reservoir
due to a power failure but used a manually operated method to open the
gates.
“Nalanda and Kandala tanks are also spilling while Dewahuwa and
Wewamadilla are reaching spill level, “he added.
“In addition two sluice gates of the Weheragala tank in Monaragala
and Upper Kotmale reservoir are also about to spill, “the DMC announced.
Meanwhile, the Meteorology Department yesterday announced that
occasional showers or thundershowers will occur particularly over the
North–central, Uva, Eastern, Central and Southern Provinces.
“Heavy rain fall can be expected at some places. Showers or thunder
showers will develop at several places elsewhere.
There will be fairly strong North-easterly winds at times over the
island,” they further added.
Meteorology Department Duty Meteorologist Jeewan Karunaratne said
that these rains will prevail during the whole of this week.
“An atmospheric disturbance in the South has contributed towards the
current heavy rains experienced in most parts of the country,” he
further explained.
The National Building Research Organization (NBRO) said Kandy, Nuwara
Eliya, Badulla and Matale districts will be at risk of disaster
situations such as landslides and rock falls, if prevailing showers
continue for the next 24 hours.
Meanwhile, the Kandy-Mahiyangana road has been blocked due to an
earth slip near Hunnasgiriya Town and the motorists have been advised to
use alternative routes.
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