Floods and landslides triggered by heavy rain killed at least 40 people and injured 10 across Sri Lanka this week, with 21 others missing, authorities said Thursday.

Most of the deaths occurred in the central tea-growing district of Badulla, where 21 people were buried alive when mountain slopes crashed onto their homes overnight, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said in a statement.

Another four were killed in a similar manner in the adjoining Nuwara Eliya district. The remaining fatalities were reported elsewhere.

More than 425 homes were damaged in mudslides, with over nearly 1,800 families moved to temporary shelters.

The DMC said river levels were rising across Sri Lanka and warned residents in low-lying areas to move to higher ground.

Sri Lanka is currently experiencing the

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