Floods and mudslides caused by monsoon rains in Sri Lanka have left at least 16 dead and forced 270,000 people to leave their submerged homes, the Disaster Management Center (DMC) said on Sunday (June 6th).
Most of the victims of landslides, caused by torrential downpours that hit 10 of the 25 districts of the country since Friday, June 4, have been buried alive, said this organization.
Read also: The monsoon killed 1,300 in South Asia
In Kegalle district, a dog directed rescuers to a place where four members of the same family were buried alive.
The four were dead when they were recovered with the help of the military, officials said.
270,000 people evacuated
Security forces have been deployed to several districts to help evacuate stricken villagers.
According to the Center for Disaster Management, 270,000 people were evacuated from their flooded homes and found refuge with friends, relatives, or in centers run by the public authorities.
Read also: Floods in Indonesia and East Timor: more than 110 dead, dozens missing
The monsoon hits Sri Lanka twice a year, bringing vital rainfall for agricultural irrigation and hydroelectric power, but also causing havoc and death.
