Ten dead in landslides and floods in Sri Lanka

At least 10 people have been killed in landslides and floods in Sri Lanka, disaster management officials said on Monday.

Seven people, including two children, were reported killed in the past 24 hours in landslides in Kalutara district, 50 kilometres south of the capital Colombo.

An elderly couple was killed in a landslide on the outskirts of Colombo.

Another resident in Kalutara district died in floods that have affected more than 1,000 families, the officials said. “We have called on the services of the navy and air force to rescue people marooned in floods while the army is helping to clear landslides,” an officer attached to the Disaster Management Centre said.

Sri Lanka has seen heavy rains in the past two days, following a drought lasting more than five months.