April 16, 2024 23:27 (IST)
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More than 100 feared dead as massive landslide hits Sri Lanka
Colombo, Oct 29 (IBNS): At least 100 people were feared killed in south-central Sri Lanka on Wednesday after an early morning landslide set off by heavy monsoon rains, media reported.
According to information received, the incident took place in the hilly village of Haldummulla, about 190 km inland from the capital, Colombo.
Media reported that more than 150 houses were buried in the massive landslide.
Around 10 bodies had been found so far, at least 300 people were missing and 150 houses buried in the village, famous for its tea plantations.
"We are not sure about the others. But we are trying our best to rescue them," Disaster Management Minister Mahinda Amaraweera told media.
It has been learnt that, people are believed to be buried beneath 10 to 15 feet of mud.
“We don’t know how many people are under the soil,” media quoted Udaya Kumara, assistant director at the Disaster Management Center as saying, who is responsible for the district where the landslide occurred.
He added, “I think more than 100 people will be dead.”
This was reiterated by Amaraweera who later said, “More than 100 people are believed to have died.”
The landslide which hit Wednesday was at least 3 km (2 miles) long.
The villagers had been advised in 2005 and 2012 to move away because of the threat of landslides in the area, but many did not heed the warning, lamented Amaraweera.
It has been learnt that about 75 children had miraculously escaped the disaster, because they were in school.
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