Soldiers and police on Thursday struggled to find hundreds of people missing after landslides destroyed at least three central Sri Lankan villages, with fresh rains triggering smaller slides and forcing rescuers to briefly suspend their efforts.
Torrents of water streamed down the hill where mountains of mud swallowed three villages – Siripura, Elangapitiya and Pallebage – on Tuesday evening, and the continuing danger forced rescue work to halt for about an hour. So far, 18 bodies have been recovered from the mud. The Sri Lankan Red Cross said at least 220 families were unaccounted for.
Heavy fog, electrical outages and the loose ground also have complicated the search. Asked whether rescuers expected to find survivors, army Maj. Gen. Sudantha Ranasinghe pointed to an area in Elangapitiya village where 66 houses once stood.