COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Floods and mudslides triggered by heavy rains have left at least seven people dead in Sri Lanka ’s tea-growing mountainous regions and forced the closure of some schools, officials said Tuesday. The mountainous areas in the central region are the worst hit, according to the government’s Disaster Management Center. People walk across a mud covered road following heavy rain in Nawalapitiya, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026. Mudslides and floods are among the most destructive natural disasters, causing severe damage to lives and property in Sri Lanka every year. Heavy monsoon rains mostly trigger mudslides in the central hill region while flooding low-lying areas, forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes.