At least 44 people have died in floods and landslides triggered by heavy rainfall across Sri Lanka this week. Another 10 people have been injured, while 21 remain missing.
The information was confirmed on Thursday by the country’s Disaster Management Centre (DMC), as reported by French news agency AFP.
According to the DMC, most of the victims were residents of Badulla, a tea plantation region in central Sri Lanka. Late-night landslides swept away houses as hillsides collapsed, killing at least 21 people.
In Nuwara Eliya district, four more people were killed after being buried under mud. The remaining casualties were reported from several other districts affected by flash floods and landslides.
More than 425 houses have been damaged in mudslides, and around 1,800 families have been moved to temporary shelters, the DMC stated. Rising river levels have prompted warnings for residents in low-lying areas to move to safer ground.
Sri Lanka is currently experiencing its northeast monsoon season, but heavy downpours intensified due to a low-pressure system positioned over the island’s eastern region.
Malaysia Also Hit by Flooding
Severe weather conditions have also disrupted daily life in Malaysia. The government has postponed year-end school examinations for two days and directed lawmakers to return to their constituencies to assist flood-affected communities, resulting in the postponement of parliamentary budget discussions.
Forecasters warned that Sri Lanka may receive more than 100 millimetres of rainfall in multiple areas, with some northeastern regions facing up to 250 millimetres of rain on Thursday.
The DMC noted that this week’s weather-related death toll is the highest since June last year, when heavy rains killed 26 people. In December, another 17 people lost their lives due to floods and landslides.
Sri Lanka’s worst flooding in recent history occurred in June 2003, when 254 people were killed.
Although the country relies on seasonal rains for irrigation and hydropower generation, experts warn that climate change is making extreme weather events—including deadly floods—increasingly frequent.
