Hundreds feared dead in massive landslide in Sri Lanka

Hundreds of people are feared dead in Sri Lanka after a massive landslide early Wednesday morning buried a row of line houses in Haldumulla, Badulla in the island's upcountry.Rescue workers have found two dead bodies while clearing the buried area and many more are trapped under the earth and feared dead.The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said the rescue missions are underway with the aid of the police and army.

The National Building Research Organization Tuesday night issued a landslide warning since the prevailing bad weather condition is expected to continue within the next 24 hours and asked the public to be alert on the possibility of landslides, rock falls and cut slope failures.The level-2 warning covered Badulla, Bandarawela, Ella divisional secretariat divisions and Ella-Wellawaya Road, Haputale- Beragala Road, Beragala-Wellawaya Road, Badulla-Spring Valley Road, Passara-Lunugala Road and Etampitiya-Welimada Road.