Colombo hit by heavy rain, floods

Three people were killed while over 100,000 people were seriously affected by flash floods Monday in Sri Lanka's Western Province due to torrential rains, relief officials said.

Pradeep Kodippily, deputy director of the Disaster Management Center said all three western provincial districts of Colombo, Kalutara and Gampaha were hit by the flash floods.

"Some 15,865 families from Gampaha, 11,000 families from Colombo and 4,311 families from Kalutara were affected," Kodippily said. Kodippily said three people in Divulapitiya, about 60 km northeast of the capital, had died when they went out to play in the floods. He said 160 houses were also damaged in Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara districts.

Daily activities came to a standstill in Colombo while some schools and offices were closed due to children and employees being stranded by floods, Kodippily said. He said about 80 percent of roads in Colombo were submerged in three to four feet (0.91 t0 1.21 meters) water.

Colombo District Disaster Management Officer P. K. C. L. Pathirana said shanties were badly affected in the capital and the city government had provided the affected families with relief materials.

Navy spokesman Athula Senerath said six Navy boats and life savers were deployed in the Gampaha district. National Building Research Organization (NBRO) has issued a landslide warning for specified areas of the Ratnapura, Kalutara and Galle districts.

Head of the Landslide Research Division of the NBRO, R. M. S. Bandara said they have informed the people of landslide threaten areas to take precautionary measurers to minimize the possible damages due to landslides.

Meanwhile, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) cut the electricity supply in some areas of Colombo due to massive rain. CEB Chairman Vidya Amarapala said it is due electricity substations in Colombo North get affected by floods.

Gayana Hendawitharana, the Meteorology Department spokesman said due to prevailing pre-monsoon conditions and low level disturbances in the vicinity of Sri Lanka, rain or thundershowers will continue in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern and Central provinces.

Fairly strong winds at times also can be expected in the South Western region, said Hendawitharana. "Since 8:30 a.m. local time Colombo recorded over 150 mm ( millimeters) of rain," Hendawitharana said. Hendawitharana said the highest rainfall of 171 mm was recorded from Ratmalana, a town in Colombo's south suburb.

Irrigation Department warned people in the low lying areas in the capital to be aware of the threat of Kelani River reaching spill levels.

Heavy rain have been experienced mainly in Western Province since Friday.