Death Toll in Sri Lanka Rises to 618 as Fresh Landslide Fears Emerge

The death toll from floods and landslides triggered by a powerful cyclone in Sri Lanka has risen to 618, while 209 people remain missing. With continued rainfall, authorities have issued fresh warnings of possible landslides in affected areas.

On Sunday (7 December), Sri Lanka’s Disaster Management Centre warned that further rain is expected due to seasonal weather conditions. Mountain slopes are becoming increasingly unstable, particularly in hilly areas and the north-western central plains.

As the impact of the climate crisis intensifies, floods and landslides since last week have affected more than two million people, around 10 percent of the country’s population.

Helicopters and aircraft are being used to deliver assistance to isolated areas in the central region, where landslides have cut off access routes.

The Disaster Management Centre said the extent of the damage is becoming clearer as floodwaters recede. More than 75,000 houses have been damaged, including nearly 5,000 that have been completely destroyed.

A senior official said recovery and reconstruction efforts could cost up to $7 billion.

Elsewhere in Asia, the death toll from floods and landslides in Indonesia’s Sumatra island has surpassed 900. At least 276 people have died in Thailand and two in Malaysia. In Vietnam, at least two people have been killed following a series of landslides caused by heavy rainfall.

Khaborwala/SS