by Melani Manel Perera

Bad weather prevents rescuers from freeing the village of Meeriyabedda inhabited by tea growers, swept away by a landslide. Except for the children who had left early to go to school.

Colombo (AsiaNews) - More than 300 people have been buried alive and an entire village swept away by an avalanche of mud. This is the death toll from yesterday's landslide in the mountainous area of Meeriyabedda (Badulla District), inhabited by farmers on the local tea plantation. Bad weather is hampering rescue operations and so far only 10 dead bodies have been pulled out. The village children however, are safe having left early for school.

The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) reports that approximately 40 hectares of land and 120 homes have been affected by the landslide. The houses, shops and the village hall - a total of 150 buildings - are under thirty feet of mud and only a few roofs are visible.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has ordered security forces to take part in the rescue operations, and more than 500 soldiers have been deployed They join the air force, police, volunteers and health workers who are racing to recover bodies.

 

• SRI
• LANKA
• mudslide
• village
• tea
• farmers
• rescue
• operations