Mudslides, floods in Sri Lanka kill at least 28; 66 missing
Floods and torrents of red mud unleashed by monsoon rains have killed at least 28 people in western and southern Sri Lanka and left 66 others missing, as officials warned Friday the situation could get worse.
About 8,000 people have been displaced by the flooding, according to the country's Disaster Management Center. The government has appealed for help in rescue and relief operations from the United Nations and from other countries, the foreign ministry said.
The government advised people living near swollen rivers and hilly slopes prone to landslides to evacuate, as heavy rains that began Thursday were expected to continue. Homes and roads have been inundated. Schools were closed in the province of Sabaragamuwa, about 90 kilometers (55 miles) east of Colombo.
