Toll from monsoon floods rises

The number of people killed in Sri Lanka's monsoon flooding and mudslides rose to 27 last night with more than a million still displaced by the disaster, officials said.

The Government's Disaster Management Centre said 27 people were confirmed dead while 12 more were listed as missing after a week of heavy rains that caused floods and slips in the eastern, northern and central regions.

"The water levels have begun to go down, but the number of people moving to state-run relief camps is going up," a spokesman for the centre said.

He said more than a million people had seen their homes flooded and been forced to move out. The state was running 633 relief camps. He added that 367,000 people were being directly cared for by state agencies at the camps while others had moved in with friends and relatives on higher ground.

Weather experts said rains had eased across the eastern region and many roads were clear of floodwaters, making it easier for supplies to get in.

Vast tracts of land were still underwater with the Agricultural Ministry estimating that nearly a fifth of the country's rice farms were inundated and crops destroyed.

Security forces have been helping with relief operations and 3000 soldiers have been deployed in the east of the island along with military helicopters.

Unicef said seven trucks loaded with supplies, including water tanks, tarpaulins, chlorine tablets, sleeping mats and cooking gear, had reached Ampara and Batticaloa districts in the east.

27 killed in floods and mudslides

12 listed as missing

1 million left homeless

- AAP