Death toll from floods and mudslides in Sri Lanka rises to 132, with 176 people still missing

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — The death toll from heavy floods and mudslides caused by Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka rose to 132, with 176 people still missing, authorities said Saturday.

Nearly 78,000 people have been displaced and are in temporary shelters, the South Asian country’s disaster management center said.

The death toll is expected to rise. Social media posts on Saturday showed several areas affected by overnight mudslides that authorities have yet to reach.

Sri Lanka has been battered by severe weather since last week. Conditions worsened Thursday, with heavy downpours that flooded homes, fields and roads and triggered landslides mainly in the tea-growing central hill country.

The government closed schools and offices and postponed examinations.

Most reservoirs and rivers have overflowed, blocking roads. Authorities stopped passenger trains and closed roads in many parts of the country after rocks, mud and trees fell on roads and railway tracks.

By Friday, water flowing downstream from severely affected areas began to inundate areas around the capital, Colombo, which experienced comparatively less rainfall.

Authorities say that Ditwah, which developed in the seas east of Sri Lanka, is likely to move toward India’s southern coast by Sunday.

Neighboring India dispatched two search and rescue teams, comprising 80 rescuers, and sent aid to support ongoing operations, the country’s embassy in Colombo said Saturday.