Water levels rising:

Flood warning!

Flood warnings have been issued to people living near the Gin Ganga, Kalu and Nilvala Rivers and Aththanagalu Oya as water levels were rising , Deputy Director of the Disaster Management Centre (DMC), Pradeep Kodippily said.

A flood alert has been issued for people to evacuate if the water level continues to rise, he said. “District offices of the DMC have been informed and precautions will be taken if the situation continues.”

Deputy Director Operations of the Meteorology Department Anusha Warnasiriya said more rain could be expected as the monsoon continues.

Being the active monsoon phase, she said the Western, Southern, Central, Sabaragamuwa and North Western Provinces will continue to receive showers.

Police reports said 200 people have been evacuated in the Gartmore Estate in Maskeliya due to landslides.

Maskeliya police OIC Tyronne Rathnayake said the people have been evacuated as the threat of landslides continues. They have been given safe temporary refuge. According to the National Building Research Centre, warnings on possible landslides, rock falls, subsidence and cut slope failure have been issued for the districts of Kandy, Ratnapura Nuwara Eliya, Kegalle and Kalutara.

The DMC Office in Kegalle said that several camps in Aranayake are due to closed during the weekend, following the affected communities deciding to move out.

Major General Sudantha Ranasinghe said the military would continue to keep people away from risky areas. “With the continuous rains, salvage missions have become difficult and risky, especially with the warnings about more landslides, and the mountain area being declared a hazardous zone,” he said. Ranasinghe confirmed that the number of bodies recovered remained at 127.