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Heavy rains slash the North; more than 10,000 affected by floods
More than ten thousand people in various parts of the North have been hit by floods due to heavy monsoon rains since Friday.
The army and navy, officials of Disaster Management Centre (DMC) were deployed in coastal and inland areas for rescue operations.
In Mullaitivu, the worst flood-hit district, 4443 persons from 1414 families were affected and are being sheltered in 20 temporary camps. In Kilinochchi, 4633 persons from 1347 families were affected, according to the situation report issued by DMC yesterday noon.
According to an advisory issued by the Department of Meteorology, many parts of the northern region received more than 300 mm of rainfall by yesterday morning. Mankulam and Oddusuddan areas recorded rainfall of 365.1mm and 302.1 mm within 24 hours on Friday.
“As active clouds are developing over the North, East, Puttalam and North-Western parts of the island, showers or thundershowers will occur at times due to low level atmospheric disturbance,” the department said yesterday, while forecasting heavy rain fall acceding 100 mm in some places.
“The Army and the Navy are assisting us in civilian rescue operations. Some 1305 affected families are currently sheltered at 22 temporary shelter camps,” Mullaitivu District Secretary R. Ketheeswaran told the Sunday Times.
All seven sluice gates of the recently renovated Iranaimadhu reservoir were opened in the early hours of yesterday as the water level increased up to 36 feet, the maximum capacity of the reservoir.
Soon after the sluice gates were opened, residential areas in the lowland of Karachchi and Kandawalai started flooded forcing locals to evacuate immediately.
Civilian transport facilities were also limited as the A9- Mankulam road was inundated. Boat services for northern islands were also stopped since Friday.
Scenes in Mankulam (left) and Mullaitivu on Saturday Pix by Lohathayalan
