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Sri Lanka closes some schools as heavy rains trigger floods and mudslides, killing 5
Heavy monsoon rains also wounded three people and forced nearly 2,000 residents into relief centres, officials said.
On Tuesday, Sri Lanka closed schools in mountainous regions as heavy rains triggered floods and mudslides, killing five people and wounding three others, officials said.
The Disaster Management Center reported mountainous areas in the Central Province are worst affected, after authorities issued evacuation warnings Monday for residents along the Mahaweli and Kelani river basins.
Nearly 2,000 people were evacuated to relief centers, while Pradeep Kodippili, the Disaster Management Center's spokesperson, said mudslides damaged 129 homes and overran two houses in the central region.
Navy and army troops were deployed to rescue people trapped in flooded homes, while residents cleaned mud-covered roads in Nawalapitiya where fallen electric posts blocked traffic.
Recovery from November's Cyclone Ditwa, which killed nearly 640 people and caused $4.1 billion in damage, remains challenging as the government rebuilds infrastructure in the Central Province.
Sri Lanka has ordered the closure of several schools in the central part of the country after heavy rains triggered flooding and landslides in several areas, resulting in five deaths and numerous injuries.