Floods in Sri Lanka leave half a million displaced

Massive floods in Sri Lanka have so far killed 151 people and displaced more than half a million.

According to the New York Times, the Sri Lankan government, assessing the damage caused by massive floods and mudslides, announced on Sunday that about half a million people have been displaced by the floods.

Sri Lanka's Disaster Management Center announced on Sunday, June 28, that 151 people have died and 112 are missing due to floods in recent days. Officials estimate that more than 1,800 houses have been damaged and about 442,000 people have been displaced by the floods.

According to the New York Times, some cities are under five and a half meters of water, and about two thousand people have been evacuated from their homes in flooded areas by rescue workers and moved to safer places.

Sri Lankan authorities have also asked residents along the banks of the country's three main rivers to evacuate the areas.

Major General Sudanta Ranasinghe, who is overseeing the Sri Lankan army's relief and rescue operations, says the main danger is behind him and the waters are receding.

An Indian ship also arrived in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, on Saturday with a medical team and a cargo of supplies to assist the country's military in the rescue operation.

Sri Lanka's Foreign Ministry on Friday called on the United Nations and neighboring countries to assist the country's military and relief forces in search and rescue operations.

Source: Voice of America