COLOMBO: Sri Lanka closed schools in its tea-growing mountainous regions on Tuesday (Aug 4) as heavy rains triggered floods and mudslides that left five people dead and three wounded, officials said. Heavy downpours over the last two days have wreaked havoc in many parts of the country, flooding homes, fields and roads. The mountainous areas in the country’s central region are the worst affected by the severe weather, according to the government’s Disaster Management Centre. Kodippili said rains and floods damaged 129 houses and that nearly 2,000 people were evacuated. Navy and army troops have been deployed to rescue people trapped in the floods and help them move to safe places.