Lanka doubles troops for flood disaster recovery

COLOMBO, Dec 08 (AFP): Sri Lanka has almost doubled its military deployment to regions struck by a cyclone that has killed 627, sending tens of thousands of troops to help areas hit by a wave of destruction, the army said Monday.

More than two million people-nearly 10 percent of the population-have been affected by the disaster caused by Cyclone Ditwah, the worst on the island this century.

Sri Lanka is expecting further heavy monsoon rains on Monday, topping 50 millimetres in many places, including the worst-affected central region, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said. It has also issued warnings of further landslides.

The DMC has confirmed 627 deaths, with another 190 people unaccounted for since November 27, when intense rains brought on by Cyclone Ditwah triggered landslides and floods.

The disaster management agency warned residents to "take adequate precautions to minimise damage caused by temporary localised strong winds and lightning during thundershowers".

Army chief Lasantha Rodrigo said 38,500 security personnel had been deployed to boost recovery and clean-up operations in flood-affected and landslide-hit areas, nearly doubling the inital deployment.

"Since the disaster, security forces have been able to rescue 31,116 people who were in distress," Rodrigo said in a pre-recorded statement.