Seychelles sends condolences to Sri Lanka after deadly landslides
Diplomacy |Author: Patsy Athanase and Sharon Uranie | May 19, 2016, Thursday @ 11:54| 4261 views
The Seychelles President James Michel. (Seychelles News Agency)
(Seychelles News Agency) - The Seychelles' President James Michel expressed condolences on Thursday to his Sri Lankan counterpart Maithripala Sirisena as the country deals with heavy rains that has already claimed dozens of lives.
“Seychelles grieve for the victims of this tragedy and we stand united with Sri Lanka in these trying times,” said Michel in a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“We have confidence in the resilience of your people to surmount this disaster,” Michel said, adding that he remains hopeful that those still missing would be found by the rescue services.
Three days of torrential rains have triggered landslides that have killed at least 37 people, according to BBC news reports.
The disaster has affected at least three villages in the central hills of Sri Lanka.
In a report on Thursday, Al Jazeera quoted the Sri Lankan Disaster Management Centre as reporting the displacement of more than 350,000 people.
“About 220 families were reported missing, the Sri Lankan Red Cross said in a statement on Wednesday,” reads the report.
Hopes of finding more survivors among the landslides are fading, the Sri Lankan authorities have said.
Rescue efforts are also being hampered as heavy rains are still pounding the central regions of Sri Lanka.