15 killed in Sri Lanka, India rains, landslides

DPA Colombo/New Delhi Heavy rains and landslides in several parts of Sri Lanka have left 10 people dead and over 15,000 displaced, officials said Tuesday. ...

DPAColombo/New DelhiHeavy rains and landslides in several parts of Sri Lanka have left 10 people dead and over 15,000 displaced, officials said Tuesday.In neighbouring Tamil Nadu state of southern India, across the Palk Strait, five people died in rain-related incidents.The extreme weather has also caused widespread damage to houses and agricultural crops in the past three days.Four were killed in landslides in two separate areas on Monday night in Sri Lanka.In Rambukkana, 95 kilometres east of the capital Colombo, three people from a family of four who were buried in a landslide died.One of them was rescued, while the bodies of three others were recovered, police said. In the central Narmmala area, a 23-year-old woman was killed in a landslide. The other six deaths were from flooding and landslides on Sunday.Thousands of acres of agricultural land, including paddy land, are underwater. More than 50 houses have been damaged and several roads are unable to be used in different parts of Sri Lanka.At least five people have been killed in rain-related incidents across India’s Tamil Nadu state, local revenue and disaster management minister KKSSR Ramachandran said.More than 500 huts and four houses had been damaged by incessant rain over the past four days.Parts of Tamil Nadu capital Chennai were flooded and there was danger of further flooding with nearby dams releasing water and the Meteorological Department predicting heavy rainfall across the region over the next 24 hours.Schools and colleges remained closed in several districts and the Chennai Municipal Corporation advised residents to remain at home.Several areas of the city and suburbs suffered power cuts as the electricity supply was stopped to avoid accidents.Chennai is India’s fourth largest city with a population of 4.6 million, and along with its suburbs is a major industrial hub.Scientists have predicted an increase in annual rainfall over a majority of the South Asian region with increased levels of global warming.