Sri Lanka shuts offices and schools as flood and landslide toll climbs to 56

Sri Lanka has closed all government offices and schools as the country continues to reel from severe flooding and landslides that have now claimed at least 56 lives, according to official figures.

The island has been battling extreme weather since last week, but conditions deteriorated sharply on Thursday when intense rainfall inundated homes, agricultural fields and major roads, while triggering multiple landslides nationwide.

The worst-hit districts were Badulla and Nuwara Eliya in the central hill country, where more than 25 people died in a series of landslides.

The two tea-growing regions, located roughly 300km east of Colombo, saw homes swept away and slopes collapse under relentless rain.

The Disaster Management Centre said a further 21 people remain missing, while at least 14 have been injured in the two districts. Additional fatalities were reported from landslides elsewhere in the country as the heavy rains continued.

Authorities have urged residents in vulnerable areas to move to safer ground, warning that more landslides and flooding are possible as saturated soil conditions persist. Emergency teams are continuing rescue and relief operations across the affected regions.