Amman, Dec 10 (Petra)- Sri Lankan authorities have reported extensive damage from severe floods that swept across the country, resulting in approximately 650 deaths.
According to the Sri Lanka News Agency, the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) confirmed that 143 kilometers of the country’s coastline were polluted following the heavy flooding.
Samantha Gunasekara, head of MEPA, said that heavy rains and widespread floods caused significant environmental damage along the coast, with the restoration of affected areas expected to require 5,280 work hours.
The Disaster Management Center (DMC) reported that more than 5,000 homes were completely destroyed, while 86,882 homes sustained partial damage due to ongoing severe weather. In total, 1,824,771 people from 529,741 families across 25 districts have been affected.
Religious and Cultural Affairs Minister Sunil Seneviratne said in a press conference that around 764 religious sites, including Buddhist temples, churches, and mosques, suffered partial or complete damage due to the floods, noting that 379 Buddhist temples, 165 Hindu temples, 63 Catholic churches, and 157 mosques were affected.
//Petra// AF
