Sri Lanka's government on Thursday deployed troops to help regions stricken by a major storm which killed seven people with five others missing, authorities said.
Powerful winds and torrential rain battered much of the island late Wednesday, toppling trees and damaging buildings.
More than 20,000 people have been affected by the storm, according to disaster management centre spokesman Pradeep Kodippily, who gave the death toll.
Two of the missing were on a fishing boat that capsized off the south coast.
President Maithripala Sirisena, who is currently on a visit to South Korea, ordered troops to help in the stricken districts. Military spokesman Brigadier Roshan Seneviratne said 2,000 troops had already been deployed.
Schools were closed Thursday across southern and central provinces and several flights into the main Colombo airport were diverted to Mattala airport in the south.
Power supplies were cut in many districts for several hours after the storm.
Source:AFP
GMT 05:06 2017 Saturday ,23 September
Death toll from garbage dump landslide in Sri Lanka reaches 32GMT 22:46 2017 Wednesday ,20 September
Cyclone aims for Bangladesh as flood toll rises to 164 in Sri LankaGMT 05:16 2017 Tuesday ,13 June
Sri Lanka flood death toll rises to 146GMT 10:54 2017 Sunday ,16 April
Hope fades for Sri Lanka missing, garbage toll hits 21GMT 00:59 2017 Sunday ,16 April
16 killed as garbage dump collapses after fire in Sri LankaMaintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©
Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©
Send your comments
Your comment as a visitor