COLOMBO, May 29 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from Sri Lanka's devastating floods and landslides hit 169 by Monday noon, as rescue workers dug out more bodies buried under mud and rubble from landslide areas, the Disaster Management Center said.
At least 102 people were missing and 88 were seeking treatment at state hospitals. At least 500,000 people had been affected by the floods and 48,000 homes had been damaged or destroyed, the DMC said.
Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena who visited one of the worst affected districts of Ratnapura, in south Sri Lanka, assured the victims of new homes and appreciated the continuous support and assistance extended by the forces.
He also ordered authorities to provide immediate relief to the people.
Search and rescue operations continued in many parts of the island country that had been severely flooded after days of rains, which began on Friday.
Sri Lanka's Education Ministry announced on Monday that all schools in the capital Colombo and on the outskirts of Gampaha, along with Kegalle, Ratnapura, Galle, Matara and Hambantota, in south Sri Lanka would remain closed till June 2 due to the inclement weather.
Sri Lanka's Meteorology Department warned on Monday that more rains followed by strong winds were expected in the country in the coming few days despite the Cyclonic storm MORA moving away from the island.
