Heavy monsoon rains, winds kill 40 in Sri Lanka

USPA News - The death toll from strong winds and monsoon rains that battered coastal areas of Sri Lanka over the weekend has risen to at least 40, officials said on Monday, with more rain expected in the coming days. Dozens of people are still missing.

Monsoon rains and strong winds impacted the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central and Southern provinces of Sri Lanka on Saturday and Sunday, causing rough sea conditions. A forecast from the country`s Meteorology Department on Friday noted the likelihood of high winds and rough seas during the weekend, but no warning was issued until Saturday when many fishing boats had already gone out to sea. The Disaster Management Center of the Ministry of Disaster Management said Monday afternoon that at least 40 people were killed and 30 others remain missing, the vast majority of them fishermen. The center said 17 people were killed in Western province, 21 in Southern province, one in Sabaragamuwa province, and one in North Western province. The severe weather, which also resulted in several landslides, destroyed at least 107 houses and damaged nearly 2,300 others. The Sri Lanka Navy, which deployed several ships to assist in the search-and-rescue mission, said it had rescued 18 fishermen by Monday. It also rendered assistance to a number of boats and to seven fishermen who had managed to swim ashore despite the rough sea conditions.