Sri Lankan floods: more bodies pulled from landslides

92 people have died and 109 others are missing after torrential rains caused flooding and landslides in Sri Lanka.

People walk through a flooded road after fleeing their houses in Biyagama, Sri Lanka, May 17, 2016.
TRT World and Agencies

People walk through a flooded road after fleeing their houses in Biyagama, Sri Lanka, May 17, 2016.

Days of torrential rain over the past few weeks have caused catastrophic landslides and flooding in Sri Lanka.

Over 350,000 people have been displaced. At least 92 are dead and 109 others missing or feared to have been buried under landslides.

Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said over 125,000 houses and more than 300,000 businesses were destroyed or damaged.

Reuters

A man cleans his flooded house in Biyagama, Sri Lanka, on May 22, 2016.

Authorities are concerned about potential waterborne diseases spreading quickly through flooded parts of the capital Colombo, where the streets have been submerged for days.

Stopping a serious outbreak of diarrhoea is their next goal.

The Sri Lankan Navy is working hard to rescue those trapped inside their homes and those stuck in flooded streets.

They're using boats to search deeper into the flooded city to distribute aid.

Reuters

Sri Lankan Navy personnel carry a woman on a wheelchair across a flooded road in Wellampitiya, Sri Lanka, on May 21, 2016.

But with more rain, more bodies are washing up and the full extent of the damage is being exposed.

The government says the cost of the damage is estimated to be between $1.5 billion and $2 billion at a minimum.

Karunanayake said, "This minimum damage cost does not include damaged vehicles, equipment and machinery. We urge foreign donors to channel their relief efforts through the government."

TRT World and Agencies

A boy living in a temporary shelter cries as his mother walks along a street near a flood affected area in Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, on May 22, 2016.

The Turkish Red Crescent has delivered emergency supplies such as tents, blankets and solar kits to the affected areas.

Route 6