Floods force 100,000 to flee Sri Lanka homes

Torrential rains have forced more than 100,000 people to leave their homes in eastern and northern Sri Lanka, an official said today.

About 111,000 people from Batticaloa and Amparai districts in eastern Sri Lanka have sought refuge in schools and public buildings, while some are living with relatives, said Yamuna Priyangani, the social services director.

Priyangani said about 500 people have been displaced from the northern Anuradhpaura district.

No casualties have been reported so far, and the Social Service Department is evaluating the damage, she added.

Dozens of people were killed and many went missing in heavy floods and landslides in southern Sri Lanka in May 2003.