Fatal landslides are triggered by monsoon rains in Sri Lanka on Wednesday, causing many casualties, leaving hundreds of missing and washing away homes and destroying a tea-growing region of the country.
So far the death toll from the landslides in the area east of Colombo has reached 16 people and around 300 are reported missing according to disaster officials. Many homes were reported to be buried under 9 meters of mud, while 140 more were reported to be washed away in the landslides. Rescue crews and military forces dig through the debris for survivors under difficult weather circumstances. Rescue efforts are also hindered by extended damage in the road network, which does not allow earth-moving and other heavy equipment from arriving in the affected areas. Major General Mano Perera, stated that the landslide started at about 7.45am (2.15am GMT) and lasted about 10 minutes.
The victims worked at tea plantations located about 120 miles from Colombo, Sri Lanka's capital. Workers with their families lined in homes situated along a mountain side, prone to landslides and reportedly disregarded previous warnings to relocate. R. M. S. Bandara, an official with the landslide-research division of the National Building Research Organization, stated in The New York Times: "In 2009, we had a discussion with the people in that area, but they were not willing to move from their houses. We gave the instructions to the people that if you don't go, you will have problems. They didn't listen."
Sources: TheGuardian, TheAtlantic.com
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