Mudslide in Sri Lanka buries 120 homes, 150 feared trapped

Colombo: A mudslide triggered by monsoon rains buried scores of workers’ houses at a tea estate in central Sri Lanka on Wednesday, killing at least three people and causing fears that 150 others are missing, officials said. The mudslide struck at around 7:30 am and wiped out 120 workers’ homes at the Meeribedda tea estate in Badulla district, 218 kilometers (135 miles) east of the capital, Colombo, said Lal Sarath Kumara, an official from the Disaster Management Center. [caption id=“attachment_1777963” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Image from Newsfirst.lk[/caption] Three people have been confirmed dead and 150 others are feared to be buried in the mudslide, with a vast area covered by earth, Kumara said. The military has mobilized troops to help in the rescue operations. Most of Sri Lanka has been seen heavy rain over the past few weeks, and the Disaster Management Center had issued warnings for mudslides and falling rocks. The current monsoon season in Sri Lanka runs from October through December. The country’s famous Ceylon tea is produced mainly in the central hills of the island nation. Associated Press