Sri Lanka Floods, Landslides Kill 31, 14 Missing

Heavy rains triggered floods and landslides across Sri Lanka this week, killing at least 31 people and leaving 14 others missing, authorities reported Thursday. The central highland districts, known for tea plantations, bore the brunt of the disaster, with most fatalities occurring in Badulla and Nuwara Eliya.

In Badulla, 16 people were buried alive when mountain slopes collapsed onto homes overnight, according to the Disaster Management Centre. Another four deaths happened in a similar landslide in neighboring Nuwara Eliya. The remaining fatalities occurred in other parts of the island, where rising rivers and mudslides damaged nearly 400 homes and forced over 1,100 families into temporary shelters. Officials warned residents in low-lying areas to seek higher ground as water levels continued to climb.

The severe weather disrupted daily life nationwide. The government suspended final-year school examinations for two days to ensure student safety. Passenger trains halted in mountainous regions after rocks, mud and trees blocked tracks, while roads closed due to flooding. In one incident in Kumbukkana, emergency teams rescued 23 passengers from a bus trapped in rising floodwaters,...