Colombo, June 5

Torrential rains battered Sri Lanka on Saturday, resulting in flooding, mudslides, and the death of six people, while fives others were reported missing, officials said.

This is the third consecutive day of heavy rain, which began to lash six districts in the country's southwest on Thursday night.

On Saturday, over 20 cm of rain was recorded. Officials said at least 5,000 persons had been displaced till now. Houses, farms and roads have been inundated. A family of four died when a heavy mound of earth crashed into their house in Devanagala village in Kegalle district, about 85 kilometers from capital Colombo, Disaster Management officials said. "We have deployed the three armed forces and rescue officials in the badly-hit areas," said disaster management official Pradeep Kodippily. The Navy has been conducting rescue operations in inundated areas.

D Abeywardena, a senior irrigation department official, said sluice gates of all reservoirs had been opened.

Spokesman for the state power utility, Sulakshana Jayawardena, said all hydropower reservoirs were running at full capacity. — PTI