The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) on Saturday reported the first death from the current monsoon, as the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) raised landslide warnings to Level 3 — the highest “Evacuate” tier — across seven divisional secretariat divisions in the Kegalle and Ratnapura districts.
The DMC said a 64-year-old resident of the Divulapitiya Divisional Secretariat Division in Gampaha District was swept away by strong currents on Friday. A total of 7,757 individuals from 1,966 families have been affected, with 201 people moved to six safety centres. Residents in 20 divisional secretariat divisions across four districts are impacted; 123 houses sustained partial damage and two were completely destroyed. The highest rainfall in the past 24 hours — 137.80mm — was recorded at the Attanagalla Divisional Secretariat Division.
The NBRO’s Red warnings cover Deraniyagala, Ruwanwella and Dehiowita in Kegalle, and Eheliyagoda, Kuruwita, Ayagama and Ratnapura in the Ratnapura District. Amber “Be Alert” warnings were issued for Seethawaka and Padukka in Colombo District, Attanagalla in Gampaha, Bulathsinhala, Horana, Ingiriya and Palindanuwara in Kalutara, Yatiyantota in Kegalle, and Pelmadulla, Kiriella, Elapatha, Kalawana and Nivitigala in Ratnapura. Yellow vigilance was placed on Mirigama and Divulapitiya in Gampaha, Agalawatta and Matugama in Kalutara, Bulathkohupitiya in Kegalle, and Ambagamuwa in Nuwara Eliya.
The Road Development Authority issued an expressway advisory urging motorists to drive below 60 km/h, switch on headlights and maintain safe distances given the risk of skidding on wet surfaces.
The escalation builds on Friday’s 200mm southwest monsoon establishment warning and follows the same morning’s Mellawagedara bridge collapse on the Attanagalu Oya basin. Friday’s extended Aththanagalu Oya flood warning runs until 6am Monday.
