Six dead, over 50,000 families hit by floods in Sri Lanka
Colombo (dpa) - Six people died, more than 50,000 families were displaced and several roads impassable after heavy rains throughout Sri Lanka, officials said Tuesday.
The deaths were reported from Colombo and the Horona and Padukka areas on the outskirts of the capital. Four people were drowned and two others died when a wall collapsed on them during the rains.
The western province, which includes Colombo, central Ratnapura and the southern Galle district were among the worst-hit areas, but the showers were lessening after two days of rain.
The rebel-held Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu areas in the north were hit by floods, badly affecting victims of last year's tsunami living in temporary shelters.
The meteorological department said that a disturbance in the Bay of Bengal had led to the continuous rains, but the situation was expected to improve.
Some estuary areas remained underwater as rains in central Sri Lanka had led to rising water levels rising.
"The water levels in the main river flowing through the capital is increasing and we are expecting the flood levels to rise. We have warned the people living along the side of the river to leave," the chief government administrator for the district, Joseph Sylvester said.
Newly-elected President Mahinda Rajapakse has set up an emergency relief co-ordinating centre and told the armed forces and police to help evacuate victims and provide food for the affected who have been sheltered temporarily in schools and government buildings.
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Two days of heavy rain caused severe floods in Sri Lanka, an island in the Indian Ocean, off of southeast of India.  Among central, western, and northern regions of Sri Lanka, more than 50,000 families have been displaced and six people have died.  The western, some parts of southern and north-eastern provinces were among the worst hit areas.  

These floods were an additional bitter blow to the victims of last year’s tsunami who are living in temporary shelters; specially in the north-eastern province.  The rebel-held Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu and some eastern parts areas are still waiting for their share of the tsunami aid.  The newly elected president has torn apart the agreement signed by the former president and the Tamil tiger rebels will have to share the aid between the two.  Their current weather is expected to improve.