Floods and landslides claim dozens of students and teachers in Central Province

At least 45 school students and teachers have died in Sri Lanka’s Central Province following severe floods and landslides, education officials said.

Central Province Director of Education Nihal Alahakoon said the Kandy District reported the highest toll, with 35 students and 10 teachers confirmed dead.

One additional student death was recorded in the Matale District, while casualty figures from Nuwara Eliya were still being verified.

Alahakoon said authorities have yet to confirm how many students and teachers are missing, as field teams continue assessments in several affected communities.

Nearly 98,000 students in the Kandy District alone were impacted by the disaster, according to preliminary data.

In Matale, about 8,500 students were affected, while officials are still compiling damage statistics from Nuwara Eliya.

The flooding and landslides also damaged 130 schools in the Kandy District.

Many displaced students are now sheltering in temporary camps.

With schools scheduled to reopen on December 16, the Education Ministry has arranged for affected children to attend the nearest available schools to minimize disruptions to their studies.