Sri Lanka flood death toll rises to 177 and counting

Sri Lankan residents look on from a shop surrounded by floodwaters, even as rescue operations go on Pics/AFP

Indian Navy diving and medical teams have been deployed to assist Sri Lanka Navy operations in the flood-hit southwestern region, as the death toll rose to 177 with 109 people still missing.

Also read: Sri Lanka floods, landslides toll rises to 126

Rescuers pulled out more bodies buried in the mudslides triggered by rains. The death toll is expected to rise further, as per the Disaster Management Centre.

Nagoda in Kalutara district

Sri Lankan Naval spokesperson Chaminda Walakauluge said two Indian ships INS Kirch and INS Shardul have arrived and "they joined us (Sri Lanka Navy) in extending relief".

Also read: Death toll from Sri Lanka's landslides, floods rises to 91

Meanwhile, an intensifying cyclone churned north towards Bangladesh, with warnings that some low-lying coastal areas were "likely to be inundated by a storm surge of four to five feet" above normal. The storm danger signal, on a scale of one to 10, has been put at seven.
Cyclone Mora was expected to make landfall on Tuesday.

Floods reached roof level and cut off access to many Sri Lankan villages, disrupting life for half a million people, officials said

Villagers in Agalawatte, in a key rubber-growing area 74 km (46 miles) southeast of Colombo, said they were losing hope of water levels falling soon after the heaviest rain since 2003.

Fifty-three villagers died and 58 were missing.