Summary Monsoon rains killed 5 people and left 17 fishermen missing along Sri Lanka's coast.
COLOMBO (AP) - Heavy wind and rains caused by the southwestern monsoon killed five people and left 17 fishermen missing along Sri Lanka s coast Saturday, an official said.
The navy and air force have rescued another 20 fishermen so far, said spokesman Lal Sarath Kumara from the government s disaster management center.
Kumara said fishermen were the worst affected by Saturday s bad weather. Four of the dead were fishermen, while one person was crushed by a fallen tree.
Thirteen other people were injured, he added.
The meteorology department issued a warning of bad weather with strong winds because of the southwest monsoon activating over Sri Lanka.
The Sri Lankan navy and air force launched a joint operation to rescue the missing fishermen, by deploying three ships and two helicopters.
