Sri Lanka recorded more than 50 drowning deaths in the first five months this year.Faster currents on the outer banks of rivers can pull swimmers off balance, especially during the monsoon season when river discharge increases, researchers say.Experts observe multiple factors including flash rains, more silt and eroding riverbanks that impact the river flow.A 2020 study recorded how curvatures of critical meandering bends in Deduru Oya have increased between 1989 and 2021.
DEDURU OYA, Sri Lanka – On April 16, eight members of Priyantha Kumara’s family including his wife, son, brother, father-in-law, and four other relatives were swept away by strong currents in the Deduru Oya, a river in Sri Lanka’s North Western province. Sri Lanka Police reported more than 30 drowning deaths between April 12 and 21 this year, underscoring the risks posed by flooding rivers.
Sri Lanka Police media spokesperson Udaya Kumara Wootler told Mongabay that 376 individuals have died due to drowning in rivers last year while 595 fatalities were reported in 2024. Buddhika Sampath, spokesperson for the Sri Lanka Navy told Mongabay that the Navy Diving Unit recovered 148 bodies of people between May 2022 and May 2023. While the police are yet to disclose official statistics of deaths due to drowning from January to May 2026, the number of reported incidents show over 50 fatalities.
