Sri Lanka deploys army after 26 killed in monsoon storms

COLOMBO: Heavy monsoon rains and mudslides in Sri Lanka have killed at least 26 people, the government said on Tuesday, ordering the army to help tens of thousands displaced.

Another 42 people were injured, junior defence minister Premitha Tennakoon told parliament, with 130,000 people forced from their homes by the floods in 23 out of 25 districts across the island nation.

“We have deployed the military to assist the relief operations,” Tennakoon said. “Boats have been deployed to help with the supply of relief.”

Sri Lanka depends on seasonal monsoon rain for irrigation as well as hydroelectricity, but experts have warned that it faces more frequent floods as the world heats due to climate change.