Three Sri Lankan villages swallowed up by mudslides

Heavy rain has pounded the central Sri Lankan region where at least three villages have been swallowed up by mountains of mud, forcing soldiers and police to suspend rescue efforts.

At least 18 people are known to have been killed and hundreds are reported missing in the landslides so far.

Rescue work had resumed early in morning before fresh rains began in the area. Military spokesman Brigadier Jayanath Jayaweera said the army was assessing the situation and would deploy more troops in the worst-hit Kegalle district if needed.

Torrential rain has lashed the island nation for several days and officials said the extent of the tragedy was still unclear. The Sri Lankan Red Cross said at least 220 families were unaccounted for.

“The task is to figure out what happened to them”, the Red Cross said, saying some people may have left after local officials warned earlier this week of possible landslides. Brig Jayaweera said that the army had so far rescued 156 people trapped by landslides and more than 1,550 people were being sheltered in seven shelters.

Heavy fog, rain, power cuts and the loose ground have made it difficult to search for survivors. Officials have also warned that, with rain still falling, more landslides could occur.

Villagers said torrents of muddy water, tree branches and debris came crashing down around their homes in the three villages, located at different heights on the same hill in Kegalle district, about 70km north of Colombo.

Officials could not give the populations of the villages of Siripura, Elangapitiya or Pallebage, but such villages typically include 1,000 to 1,500 residents.

In Elangapitiya alone, where 14 bodies were recovered on Wednesday, about 130 people were still missing, according to major general Sudantha Ranasinghe, who was co-ordinating rescue efforts.

Hundreds of stunned villagers took shelter in four temporary camps set up in schools.