Death toll from floods and landslides rises to 56 in Sri Lanka
Colombo (PTI): The death toll due to floods and landslides has risen to 56 and 21 remain missing in Sri Lanka as it announced a public holiday on Friday other than for those involved in essential services.
At least 46 deaths have been recorded within the past 72 hours as adverse weather conditions continue to affect the island, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said.
In view of the emergency situation, the government declared Friday as a public holiday other than for those involved in essential services.
Disaster management officials said that 43,991 people from 12,313 families have been affected by the extreme weather conditions.
Meanwhile, cyclonic storm Ditwah is located near Sri Lanka’s eastern district of Trincomalee, the meteorology department announced on Friday morning.
Ditwah was centred about 50 km south of Trincomalee and was seen to be moving north and northwestwards.
Heavy showers, thunderstorms and strong winds will continue island-wide, with very heavy rainfall above 200 mm expected in several provinces, and up to 150 mm in areas, including Trincomalee in the east, Badulla in central Galle and Matara in the southern province, the weather bureau said.
Winds of 60-70 kmph, gusting up to 80-90 kmph, are likely across much of the country.
SriLankan Airlines said several inbound planes had been diverted to Kochi and Trivandrum in India and the Mattala airport in the southern province.
The government is considering making an international appeal for help at a meeting to be convened by Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya later in the day, sources said.
The railway department said all services have been suspended until further notice from 6 am today.
In the central province town of Gampola, the railway station was completely submerged with several carriages trapped underwater, officials said.
The risk of floods has increased further due to the opening of spill gates at all of the reservoirs throughout the island.
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US rules out use of nuclear weapons against Iran
Washington DC: The White House has reportedly ruled out the use of nuclear weapons against Iran, even as uncertainty continues over ongoing peace negotiations and a deadline set by US President Donald Trump approaches.
Issues bout a possible escalation had increased after US Vice President JD Vance said that the United States has “tools in our toolkit that we so far haven’t decided to use” in dealing with Iran.
His remarks came amid rising tensions and ahead of a deadline linked to peace efforts.
The situation has attracted attention as Trump warned Iran that its “whole civilization will die tonight tonight” if an agreement is not reached by Tuesday at 8 pm.
This statement led to speculation about the possibility of extreme military measures, including a nuclear strike.
Following Vance’s comments, the White House issued a clarification distancing itself from such interpretations. In a post on X, it said, "Literally nothing @VP said here 'implies' this, you absolute buffoons." In a later statement, it added that “only the president knows” what action will be taken regarding Iran.
Literally nothing @VP said here "implies" this, you absolute buffoons https://t.co/7JU3wXMaWX
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 7, 2026
