Seven Hundred Ninety persons belonging to 222 families were affected by the landslide that occurred last night (19) in the Bandarawela, Liyangahawela and Kabaragala areas caused by the extreme weather conditions.
Eight people injured in the landslide have been admitted to Koslanda Base Hospital and Diyatalawa Hospital.Meanwhile, the National Building Research Organization (NBRO) has issued landslide alerts for three districts, i.e., Haldummulla Divisional Secretariat Division in Badulla District, Elpitiya, Nagoda and Baddegama Divisional Secretariat Divisions of Galle District and Ukuwela, Raththota, Wilgamuwa and Navula Divisional Secretariat Divisions of Matale District. NBRO states that the warning is valid until 8.30 pm today (21).
If the rainfall exceeds 150 mm in the next 24 hours, and if the rain continues, the NBRO alerts the people of the risk of landslides, cutting failures, rockfalls, earth collapses and earth sinking and to move to safe places.
The Director General of the Disaster Management Center (Retired Major General) Sudanta Ranasinghe requests the people not to come to visit the landslide areas because the traffic hinders the work of providing relief to the disaster victims.
Meanwhile, Liyangahavela Police Station said that after the heavy showers in Koslanda area on Sunday night, 24 houses were damaged by a landslide in Kabaragala section of Poonagala Estate belonging to Maskeliya Plantation Company.Three houses and a shop have been destroyed and twenty other houses have been partially damaged by the collapse of rocks.
Two hundred and twenty people belonging to 62 families have been living in this line of houses. These people are displaced and they have been temporarily sheltered in No. 03 Tamil Vidyalaya.
Three women and three men have been injured in the accident and they are currently undergoing treatment at the Koslanda Hospital.
According to hospital sources, their condition is not serious.E.M.L. Udaya Kumara, Assistant Director of Badulla District Disaster Management Unit, said that efforts have been made to provide food and other requirements to the displaced persons.
Immediately after the incident, the Police and Army personnel arrived at the scene and rescued the victims with the support of the local residents.
The Assistant Director also mentioned that the damaged houses would be repaired.In the past few days, heavy rains have been falling in the afternoons in Castlereagh and Moussakale catchment areas located on the western slopes of the Central Hills.
The water level in Castlereigh and Moussakale reservoirs is gradually rising with the heavy rains that intermittently fall every day in those catchment areas, the reservoir engineers pointed out.
Due to the drought condition in the Catchment areas in the past few months, the water level of Castlereigh and Moussakale Reservoirs had declined rapidly and many ruins of the old Maskeliya city, which had been submerged during the construction of the reservoir, had re-emerged.
Meanwhile, the Department of Meteorology informs that there may be rain in the Western Province, Galle and Matara Districts and the coastal areas in the morning today (21). The announcement forecast heavy showers above 75 mm in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva Provinces and some places in Galle and Matara districts.
“People are requested to take appropriate actions to reduce the dangers caused by temporary strong winds and lightning that may occur with thundershowers.
The Department of Meteorology further informs that there will be rain or thundershowers in the sea areas around the island. Winds are from south to southwest. Winds are blowing from opposite directions and the wind speed is 20-30 kilometres per hour,” the Department said.
“The sea areas around the islands can vary from normal to slightly rough conditions and when there are thunderstorms, strong winds will occur in those sea areas and may be very rough temporarily,” the Department forecast.