300 believed trapped in Koslanda landslide!

300 missing from Koslanda landslide ....Only 14 bodies still discovered!

As a consequence of the landslide that occured early this morning in Badulla, Koslanda, Meeriyabedda area, it is reported that the number of those who have disappeared now exceed 300.

It is understood that apart from the school-children who went to school this morning, most of those who were living in houses at that moment may have died in that instance under that mudslide.


Statistics provided by the Minister of Disaster Management is somewhat contradictory to these figures and that the number of those who lived at this place were 300 in number. He mentioned that since those found among the living are 75 school-children and about 105 adults, those missing are about 150.

As a consequence the houses damaged are 67 in number while 14 dead bodies of victims of the landslide have been unearthed. Homes which were line-houses have sunk to the the ground in this manner.

The search operations for the victims of the landslide which occured in Koslanda, Meeriyabedda area were conducted with the aid of the Armed Forces and because there is a possibility of a mountain closeby which is landslide-prone and as the situation towards evening could turn out to be immensely difficult, search operations have continued upto the evening and put off for tomorrow.

About 80 houses have been covered by earth and on that occasion inhabitants there have disappeared.

It was understood that inclement weather was the reason to curtail the operations and that operations would once again commence tomorrow (30).

After a survey conducted this afternoon (28) it was confirmed that about 330 persons had lived in estate houses in the area which were subjected to the landslide and since even the offices which contained particulars about every one of them were destroyed, it has still not been clarified as to who were missing from among those living.

Further, though it has already been revealed that a crowd of about 100 individuals are still among the living and as they are spread around at various points, it has been difficult to gather the statistics necessary.

A team of about 300 soldiers of the three Armed Forces have been engaged in this landslide rescue operations.