Heavy rains off the coast of Sri Lanka and the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu have killed at least 25 people, destroyed thousands of homes and disrupted traffic, authorities said.
In Sri Lanka, 20 people have lost their lives in recent days, most of them from drowning, while five have been injured by landslides, officials said on Wednesday.
“Given the prevalence of Covid-19, the government has encouraged more than a thousand families to relocate with relatives to reduce pressure on public facilities,” said Sudantha Ranasinge, head of the Sri Lankan Disaster Management Center.
A low barometer following the rains was expected to move to Tamil Nadu on Thursday afternoon, the Sri Lankan meteorological office said. Five people have already died in the Indian state of India, whose capital, Chennai, is a hub for car manufacturing.
India’s meteorological service has issued an emergency weather report in areas of Tamil Nadu and the neighboring state of Andhra Pradesh, urging fishermen not to dare to open up to the sea.
Tamil Nadu state officials evacuated hundreds of people from low-lying areas and distributed portions of food and shelter to those affected by the extreme weather.
The head of the local government of the state, M.K. Stalin said on Twitter that he had asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to release funds from the National Disaster Relief Fund, adding that funds previously allocated had been exhausted.
