Colombo: At least 10 persons were killed and up to 300 missing on Wednesday after a massive landslide triggered by monsoon rains struck central Sri Lanka, forcing authorities to deploy the army to conduct rescue operations.
The landslide struck in the morning and wiped out 120 workers' homes at the Meeriabedda tea estate in Badulla district.
At least 10 bodies have been recovered, officials said, adding that some houses were buried in over 30 feet of mud following heavy rains in the area last night, Colombo Gazatte reported.
A massive rescue operation has been launched after the landslide. President Mahinda Rajapaksa had also ordered the security forces to deploy their machinery to the affected area.
The army said that more than 500 soldiers were deployed to assist in the rescue operations.
Together with the soldiers, Sri Lanka Air Force troops, policemen, health teams and civil relief teams are engaged in evacuating the buried, believed to be around 200 to 300 and providing relief, the army media unit said.
Most of Sri Lanka has been experiencing heavy rain over the past few weeks, and the Disaster Management Centre had issued warnings of mudslides and falling rocks.
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