Foreign aid reaches capital; 71 killed

Foreign aid began arriving in Sri Lanka yesterday, bringing help to half a million people who have been driven from their homes by heavy rains and landslides that have killed at least 71.

The heaviest rains in a quarter of a century have pounded Sri Lanka since last weekend, triggering huge landslides that have buried some victims in up to 50 feet of mud.

The number of people missing now stands at 127.

Residents clung to ropes as they battled to cross torrents of water pulsing through the streets of the flooded capital Colombo, with some forced to take shelter in rickshaws.

India has sent a military plane carrying emergency supplies to Colombo while Japan has also rushed in aid on a commercial flight, the Sri Lankan foreign ministry said.

The Indian government has provided inflatable boats, outboard motors, diving equipment, medical supplies, electricity generators and sleeping bags, officials said.

Two Indian naval ships were also expected shortly at the port in the capital while Australia and the United States have made cash donations to help the victims.

Floodwater levels in parts of the capital subsided slightly overnight, officials said, but heavy downpours yesterday prevented many from moving back to their homes on the banks of the Kelani river.

The DMC said 22 of Sri Lanka's 25 districts had been affected. Around 300,000 people have been moved to state-run relief centres while a further 200,000 were staying with friends or family.