The disaster situation in the Badulla District has escalated to unprecedented levels, with 47 deaths confirmed and 41 people reported missing following days of torrential rain and widespread landslides, Minister Samantha Vidyarathne said yesterday.
Delivering an official update, the Minister described the situation as “historically grave,” warning that the number of missing persons could rise as search-and-rescue operations continue. Authorities have also confirmed that nine individuals remain trapped under earth and debris in Polgahara, within the Meegahagolla Division, and in the Badulla Pradeshiya Sabha area. Attempts to reach them yesterday were only partly successful. Seven people had already died in Meethigahatenna the previous day, pushing the cumulative death toll to its highest level in recent memory.
The Minister said significant Tri-Forces deployment is planned for today to support emergency operations across the district. Fifteen military personnel have been assigned to search for those buried under landslides, while ten personnel will be sent to Kendala, where a resident has been trapped beneath earth for more than 24 hours. Fifty Tri-Forces members have been deployed to Passara and another 50 to Lunugala, with 40 personnel tasked with clearing sections of Badulla town.
Access to and from Badulla remains severely restricted, with several major roads impassable due to landslides and fallen debris. The Badulla–Passara road is completely cut off, while roads connecting Badulla to Madolsima, Meethigahatenna and Nariya remain blocked. The Passara–Lunugala road, the Hali-Ela–Galwatta stretch, and the Dunhinda–Mahiyangana main road are also closed.
A total of 102 safe shelters are now in operation, accommodating 6,861 displaced people, while others have sought refuge with relatives. To address gaps in medical access, the Ministry has deployed two mobile medical units equipped with doctors, staff and essential medicines, with plans underway to deploy a third.
Supplies of food, drinking water, blankets and basic necessities are running low in several communities, worsened by the district’s cold weather conditions. Many residents have only the clothes they were wearing when they fled their homes. Local electricity outages, however, have been brought under control.
Minister Vidyarathne urged the public to take all warnings seriously, noting that rain continued to fall yesterday and fresh landslides were reported in parts of the district. With the ground heavily saturated and unstable, risks remain extremely high. He appealed to public in vulnerable areas to move immediately to designated safe zones, stressing that their lives must take priority over the protection of property.
