Tens of thousands of people have been impacted by the severe weather conditions in Sri Lanka. The recent heavy rains have affected areas from Jaffna to Colombo. The Meteorological Department has indicated that heavy rainfall will continue for several more days.
In Sri Lanka, it is a well-known fact that severe disasters happen during every rainy season. This year, a tragic incident was reported in the Ampara district. On the 26th, a tractor carrying children overturned in the Mawadipillai area of Karthivu, Ampara. Sadly, six people, including five children, were swept away by the floodwaters.
The tragic event that took place in Ampara
The Navy has initiated operations to search for missing individuals involved in an accident in which a tractor carrying a group of children overturned. Navy Spokesperson Captain Gayan Wickramasuriya announced that the bodies of four students who were reported missing on the morning of the 28th have been recovered. The tractor driver is also among those who are unaccounted for. Efforts are still underway to locate three additional missing individuals. The Navy Spokesperson further noted that a Navy diving team has been deployed to assist with the search operation.
M.A.C. Mohamed Riyas, the Assistant Director of the Ampara District Disaster Management Unit, reported that a group of students from a madrasa school in the Ninthavur area was involved in an accident. The students were travelling by bus from Ninthavur to Samanthurai when they encountered a flood. As a result, the passengers had to disembark and turn back in the Mawadipillai area. The accident occurred while the children were travelling to Samanthurai in a nearby tractor.
Two individuals are still missing, and four have died
They had been travelling in a tractor to return home. However, when they encountered a road submerged in water near Mawadipillai in the Karthivu area, they had to stop midway and turn back. In that situation, a group of left-alone students tried to find a way home, deciding to use the tractor.
Nine children, the driver, and an assistant travelled in the tractor. Unfortunately, the water swept the vehicle away, leading to a chaotic situation. Residents managed to rescue five children who were clinging to a lamppost. However, the driver and assistant, along with four children, remain missing. A challenging operation has been launched to search for them.
There is a significant depression in the Bay of Bengal
The Meteorological Department announced that a deep depression in the southwestern Bay of Bengal was located about 100 kilometres east of Trincomalee on the morning of the 27th. They also predict that it will likely strengthen into a cyclone as it moves northward along the island’s east coast. As a result, many areas across the island are experiencing cloudy skies, and very heavy rains along with strong winds are expected in the northern, North-Central, eastern, Northwestern, and central provinces.
There were hefty rains exceeding 150 mm
According to the weather bulletin, showers or thunder showers are expected in the Northern, North-Central, Central, Western, and Northwestern provinces of Sri Lanka and the Trincomalee, Batticaloa, and Kegalle districts. Hefty rainfall exceeding 150 mm is anticipated in some areas. The Meteorological Department also reports that occasional showers will occur in other parts of the island, with heavy rains of over 75 mm likely in specific locations. Additionally, strong winds reaching 40-50 kilometres per hour may occur in the Northern, North-Central, Central, Western, Northwestern, Southern, and Eastern provinces.
A total of 300,000 people have been affected
The Disaster Management Centre has reported that the disaster currently affects 90,000 families across 166 Divisional Secretariat Divisions in 20 districts. In total, 300,000 people have been impacted, with 16,553 individuals from 5,305 families being relocated to safety. Flooding conditions in low-lying areas around reservoirs are continuing to worsen. Additionally, water levels in the Deduru Oya( Small River) and Mahaweli River are rising, further escalating flood risks. Unfortunately, one death has been reported due to the severe weather.
The Northern Province has been the most brutal hit, with 50,000 people from 14,237 families affected in the Mannar District alone. Approximately 3,000 individuals from 700 families are housed in 25 safe locations within Mannar. The government is working to provide them with the necessary facilities and support.
The Northern Province is experiencing a significant impact
In addition to the Mannar district, the Jaffna district has seen significant damage, with approximately 10,000 people from 2,706 families affected. The Disaster Management Centre also reports that around 3,000 individuals from 811 families in the low-lying Kilinochchi district are impacted. Due to heavy rains, all spill gates of the Iranamadu Reservoir in Kilinochchi have been opened, increasing the risk of further inundation in that area. The District Disaster Management Centre has warned that the disaster situation in both Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts may worsen due to these developments, as the Iranamadu Reservoir is the largest in the Northern Province.
The disaster management units have taken steps to inform the security forces to obtain the necessary support if the disaster worsens. Several major roads in the Northern Province, including the road from Mullaitivu to Paranthan, the Jaffna-Kandy road, the Vavuniya to Mannar road, the Jaffna to Trincomalee road, the Mannar to Puttalam road, and the Mannar to Jaffna road via Pooneryn, have been flooded at various locations, significantly affecting transportation.
Due to rising water levels in the Nandikadal lagoon, measures have been implemented to release additional water into the ocean by creating cuttings in several areas. The Meteorological Department has advised fishermen in the northern and eastern provinces to refrain from venturing out to sea.
The epicentre of the cyclone is located near the Mullaitivu district in the Northern Province, which indicates that this area can expect increased rainfall in the coming days. The security forces are evacuating those affected by the flooding to safer locations.
A landslide warning was issued for ten districts
Due to heavy rainfall, the National Building Research Organisation has issued landslide warnings in several districts. The at-risk areas include Badulla, Galle, Matara, Kalutara, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Matale, Kegalle, Ratnapura, and Kurunegala.
Additionally, the heavy rainfall has increased the risk of flooding in the Mahaweli River, Deduru Oya( Small River), Mundeni Aru Basin, and Malwathu Oya( Small River). Evacuations in these areas have already begun. A flood warning has also been issued for the low-lying regions of Anuradhapura, Vavuniya, Mannar, Monaragala, Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Kurunegala, and Puttalam districts, which will be in effect for the next 48 hours.
