Death toll in Sri Lanka floods, landslides rises to 41 as 150 people remain missing

The death toll from Sri Lanka's flash floods and devastating landslides rose to 41 on Thursday as rescue teams continued emergency search and evacuation operations in many districts across the island, the Disaster Management Center said.

Rescue teams recovered five more bodies from a landslide site in Bulathkohupitiya in Sri Lanka's Central Kegalle District on Thursday, bringing the death toll to 10 and officials said they were searching for 15 more people, trapped under the debris.

Five bodies were recovered from the site on Wednesday.

Rescue operations were also continuing in Aranayake also in the Kegalle District where a massive landslide buried three villages on Tuesday evening.

Fourteen bodies had been recovered buried under the debris on Wednesday but the army said they were searching for a further 134 people.

"Our efforts are continuing but we are facing heavy rains. However our aim is to find a further 134 people who are under the debris," officer in charge of the rescue missions Major General Sudantha Ranasinghe told Xinhua.

Rescue efforts came to a standstill on Thursday due to severe rains but teams were on standby to begin searching for the missing once rains ceased.

Major General Ranasinghe said that there was a further threat of landslides in the area as the rains continued.

Residents in the nearby villages have been evacuated and housed at nine temporary shelters set up in the area.

Over 150 people have been rescued by the landslide, officials said.

More than 418,000 people have been affected by floods and landslides across the island country due to heavy rains and strong winds which began on Saturday evening.

The DMC on Thursday warned that water levels of the Kelani River was also rising and people residing along the river banks had been evacuated.

People in the hilly areas have also been advised to be evacuated if they observe any signs of landslides.

The Meteorology Department said in its latest weather alert that there was a high possibility of a sudden increase in the rains in the southwestern part of the country and strong winds would continue for the next few days. Endit