A giant Emirates A380 aircraft was yesterday forced to make an unscheduled stop at the Bandaranaike International Airport for refuelling.

The Airbus A380, the largest passenger aircraft in the world, with 517 passengers aboard, remained for over one hour until the fuelling was over, top airport sources told The Island last night.

Emirates sources claimed that it was a scheduled flight, though there was panic in travel and aviation circles that it was an emergency landing. Asked whether the Dubai bound flight from Australia was opting for Colombo as a fuelling destination, he said that  there was nothing specified at present by the Emirates management in Dubai, but he did not rule out the possibility of the option being pursed at a future date.

Floods in nine districts of the Northern, Eastern, North Central and Central Provinces, due to the heavy rains experienced over the last three days, have affected more than 35,000 people, according to the Disaster Management Centre (DMC).

DMC Assistant Director Pradeep Kodippili told The Island that nearly 7,500 people displaced by the floods had been accommodated in 43 IDP camps in the Polonnaruwa, Anuradhapura, Kilinochchi, Mannar, Matale, Jaffna, Mullaitivu, Trincomalee and Nuwara Eliya Districts.

"Kilinochchi is the worst affected district with 15,499 people affected while 6,395 were displaced," he said adding that one death by drowning had bee reported from the Mullaitivu District.

According to him, 12095, 11381, 729 and 67 people were affected by the floods in the Mullaitivu, Jaffna, Mannar and Polonnaruwa districts respectively.

Sajith beats Ravi in close contest

Gamage knocks out Dayasiri

Ranil Wickremsinghe, who has the distinction of being the most maligned politician in the country, virtually rose from the ashes to deliver a crushing defeat to Karu Jayasuriya,his rival at yesterday’s election for the leadership.

Sources said that the verdict of 72 to 24 votes in favour of Wickremesinghe, had disproved the contention by both Jayasuriya and Sajith Premadasa, that under the new party constitution they had a majority backing among the Working Committee and parliamentary group members.

An accident occurred on the Southern Expressway at 7.10 this morning, at the 8th mile post in Kahatuduwa .

The two individuals who were injured were travelling to Colombo. They were admitted to the Horana Hospital and have now been discharged.