Thousands head home in SL as floods subside

Colombo, Nov 2: Thousands of Sri Lankans displaced by heavy monsoon flooding which killed 26 people have returned to their homes as waters subside, government officials said today.

The floods, triggered by heavy rains that began a week ago, destroyed 77 homes, damaged 358 and briefly forced more than 330,000 people from their homes, but most have now returned.

Heavy monsoon rains died down on Tuesday.

''People started returning to their homes as the rains stopped and the floods started to subside,'' said ND Hettiarachchi, Director General at the National Disaster Management Centre in Colombo.

He said around 1,500 people still remained in makeshift camps built to house the flood-displaced in the western province of Gampaha, which was worst affected.

Floods and landslides are common during monsoons in Sri Lanka, where much infrastructure has long been neglected as successive governments focused on a two-decade civil war with Tamil Tiger rebels.

Sri Lanka's Red Cross said its aid workers had helped to clear drains in affected areas to help the floodwaters go down, and were giving cooked meals and dry rations to affected families.

The United Nations said yesterday its agencies were ready to send in water and sanitation kits, temporary shelter, bed sheets, sleeping mats, soap and kitchen utensils, if required.

Reuters