Sri Lanka battles Cyclone Mahasen
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E-mail Xinhua, May 14, 2013
Sri Lanka braced for more rainy weather on Tuesday due to a storm off the Bay of Bengal that has affected over 1,600 people and killed two, an official said here.
The storm named "Mahasen" after an ancient Sri Lankan king, lashed the eastern and southern coasts of the island marooning fishermen, tearing down trees and flooding neighborhoods.
Floods caused by the cyclone killed two and injured eight others on Monday, Disaster Management Center (DMC) spokesman Sarath Lal Kumara told media.
The DMC has recorded 1,618 people as being severely affected by the deluge.
"Over 60 fishing boats that were caught in the storm had to be rescued with the assistance of the navy and towed to a safe harbor. Several boats were also lost at sea though there have been no fatalities," Kumara said.
Motorists and pedestrians were also severely inconvenienced due to flooded roads with traffic jams reported form many areas of the capital.
In one incident a roadside tree toppled onto a moving car, trapping it underneath and blocking the road. Two passengers managed to crawl out but the car could only be moved after municipal authorities hacked it to pieces using chain saws.
"We have issued a landslide warning to four districts. If the rain continues it is likely that there could be more damage. The displaced people are being given meals and are provided with temporary shelter till the floods recede," he said.
The country's Meteorological Department has noted that the storm is showing signs of moving away from Sri Lanka.
