International News

COLOMBO, (APP/AFP) – Foreign aid began
arriving Saturday in Sri Lanka, bringing help to half a million people who have been driven from their homes by heavy rains and deadly landslides, as floodwaters subsided slightly, officials said.
The Sri Lankan Foreign ministry said an Indian air force plane
carrying emergency supplies had arrived in Colombo while two Indian naval ships were also expected at the port in the capital.
Floodwater levels in parts of the capital subsided a little
overnight, disaster officials said, but not enough for anyone to move back to their homes on the banks of the Kelani river.
“Colombo did not receive any significant rain last night and the
water levels of the Kelani went down slightly,” Disaster Management Centre spokesman Pradeep Kodippili told AFP.
“But there were showers upstream and we are worried that the water
levels can rise again in a day.”
The heaviest rains in a quarter of a century have pounded Sri Lanka
since last weekend, triggering huge landslides that have buried some victims in up to 50 feet (15 metres) of mud.
More than 60 people are known to have died so far amid fears that
number could spike with many more reported missing.
The Indian government has provided aid including inflatable boats,
outboard motors, diving equipment, medical supplies, electricity generators, raincoats, umbrellas and sleeping bags, officials said.