Doha: At least 40 people have died in floods and landslides caused by torrential rains that have been battering Sri Lanka for a week, the country's Emergency and Flood Management Department announced Thursday.

According to Qatar News Agency, the department noted that 21 people were buried in their homes in the central Badulla district, which suffered the most damage due to the large amounts of soil washed down from the mountains by the heavy rains.

The Emergency and Flood Management Department added that 21 people were still missing till Thursday evening.

Authorities have provided shelter for more than 1,800 families in emergency shelters, while 425 homes have been destroyed or damaged across the island nation.

Sri Lanka experiences heavy rainfall at this time every year due to the northeast monsoon, which has intensified in recent days due to a low-pressure system affecting the east of the island.