Sri Lanka closes schools as floods, mudslides leave 10 dead, 6 others missing

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka closed schools Monday as heavy rains triggered floods and mudslides in many parts of the island nation, leaving at least 10 people dead and six others missing, officials said. officials announced.

The Ministry of Education announced that the reopening of schools would depend on changes in the weather.

Heavy downpours have wreaked havoc in many parts of the country since Sunday, flooding homes, fields and roads, and forcing authorities to cut power as a precaution.

Six people died after being swept away and drowned on Sunday in the capital Colombo and the remote Rathnapura district, according to the disaster management center. Three other people died when mounds of earth collapsed on their homes, and one person died when a tree fell on them. Six people have disappeared since Sunday.

As of Monday, more than 5,000 people had been transferred to evacuation centers and more than 400 homes had been damaged, the center said in a statement.

Navy and army troops were deployed to rescue victims and provide food and other essentials to those affected.

Sri Lanka has been grappling with extreme weather conditions since mid-May, caused by heavy monsoon rains. Earlier, strong winds downed trees in many areas, killing nine people.