The death toll in Sri Lanka's flash floods and landslides has risen to 12 with five more people reported missing, authorities said Monday.
Sri Lanka’s western province including the capital Colombo, the southern province and the central parts of the island nation have been the worst affected by heavy rains since Saturday night, an official from the country's disaster management centre said.
The five missing people were swept away by floodwaters and a search and rescue operation is ongoing.
More than 50,000 people have been displaced after heavy downpours wreaked havoc in several districts.
The South Asian country has been grappling with monsoon rains since mid-May. The rainfall intensified over the weekend, resulting in flooding and landslides.
All schools in Sri Lanka remained closed on Monday. The last major floods in the country in 2021 killed 14 people.