Sri Lanka's flood selfie goes viral on social media
A Sri Lankan woman standing on a flooded road in the Biyagama neighbourhood and taking a selfie became an instant hit on social media sites.
A Sri Lankan woman standing on a flooded road in the Biyagama neighbourhood and taking a selfie became an instant hit on social media sites on Wednesday, with the courtesy of a Reuter's photo.
While some flood-stricken people might have panicked and gone out to look for safe havens, others may have been trying to collect food and other necessary items for everyday use for themselves and their families, this woman attired in black and red latex ventured out during a life-threatening flood to capture herself with her cell phone.
It appears the photographer associated with Reuters was present at a perfect moment when the woman stopped in the middle of the road and posed for a perfect selfie without having a notion this would shoot her to great fame in the next few hours in the realm of cyber space.
It took no time for the image to go viral, as thousands of people took to the micro blogging site Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms to share the photo.
Some people called her lucky for becoming hit on social media in a matter of few hours:
A lucky girl. She became very popular in #lka SM networks within number of hours after taking a #selfie in #FloodSL https://t.co/CRIp6bJ7Qr
— Zahran Careem (@zahranc) May 17, 2016
Some supported her coming out and doing what she did:
If it's memorable and not life-threatening, what harm in taking a selfie in #FloodSL? #lka #monsoon https://t.co/kJIvIhlsmt
— Nalaka Gunawardene (@NalakaG) May 17, 2016
One twitter user even called it the "selfie of the year:"
Probably the selfie of the year goes to this legend.. #lka #floods pic.twitter.com/UW6yztrEBP
— Kosaqsi (@kosaqsi_tweets) May 17, 2016
150 people feared dead in Sri Lanka floods & landslides
Three days of torrential rains triggered floods and two landslides in central Sri Lanka, in which 150 people are feared to have lost their lives.
The disastrous rains have displaced over 300,000 people across the South Asian country, official figures said.
The current confirmed death toll stands at 41, while it is being feared that this figure could increase dramatically.
Villagers pull a boat with people after rescuing them, on a flooded road in Biyagama, Sri Lanka May 17, 2016.
Rescue and releif activitis continue with particular focus on Aranayaka, 100 km northeast of the capital, Colombo, which witnessed three villages being burried under landslides late Tuesday night.
Military officials struggled to shift mud with the help of shovels and hoes as they looked for survivors in the hilly terrain amid downpour that made movement difficult.