Sri Lanka: Ten deaths and six missing after floods and mudslides hit the island

Navy and army personnel have been dispatched to rescue victims and supply food and other necessities to those impacted.

Sri Lanka was forced to close schools on Monday after torrential rain caused floods and mudslides in various regions of the island nation, killing at least 10 people and leaving six others missing, according to officials.

The reopening of schools would be contingent on how the weather developed, said the education ministry.

Heavy rains have caused devastation in several regions of the country since Sunday, flooding homes, fields, and roadways and causing authorities to turn off power as a precaution.

According to the disaster management centre, six persons perished on Sunday after being washed away and drowned in Colombo and the rural Ratnapura area. Three people died when mounds of earth collapsed on their homes, and one died when a tree fell on him.

Over 5,000 people had been relocated to evacuation centres by Monday, and more than 400 homes had been damaged, according to the centre's statement.

Navy and army personnel have been dispatched to rescue victims and supply food and other necessities to those impacted.

Sri Lanka has been dealing with extreme weather conditions since mid-May, driven by heavy monsoon rains. Earlier, powerful winds brought down trees in various regions, killing nine people.