At least 25 killed as heavy rains hit Sri Lanka and southern India

Heavy rains on Sri Lanka's coast and in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu have killed at least 25 people, destroyed thousands of homes and snarled traffic, authorities said.

In Sri Lanka, 20 people have died in recent days, most from drowning, while five were hurt in landslides, officials said on Wednesday.

"Given the prevalence of Covid-19, the government has encouraged over a thousand families to move in with relatives to reduce the strain on government-run centers," said Sudantha Ranasinghe, head of Sri Lanka's Disaster Management Centre.