Heavy rains triggered floods and landslides, which have claimed at least 56 lives, as 21 people remain missing amid the claustrophobic disaster.
According to the Disaster Management Centre (DMC), over 20 people were killed in the central tea-growing district of Badulla when a landslide crashed onto their homes overnight.
Schools, government offices and train services remained closed in Sri Lanka on Friday, November 28, as the death toll from floods and landslides across the country rose to 56 and hundreds of homes suffered damage.
The island nation is now bracing itself for more severe weather on Friday as Cyclone Ditwah moves along its eastern coast, after conditions severely worsened following heavy downpours on Thursday.
In Sri Lanka, river levels are continuing to rise, and the DMC has warned residents in low-lying areas to move to higher ground.
A red-level flood warning has been issued for the low-lying areas of the Kelani River valley within the next 48 hours, the Irrigation Department noted, as areas at risk include the capital, Colombo.
More than 200 mm of rain is expected in some central and northern parts of the island on Friday.
The DMC said that almost 44,000 people have been affected by the extreme weather and around 20,500 army troops have been deployed to provide relief and rescue operations across the country.
