Rescue workers continue their search operation after Sri Lanka garbage dump landslide

Record ID: 645405

  • Title: Rescue workers continue their search operation after Sri Lanka garbage dump landslide
  • Date: 17th April 2017
  • Summary: COLOMBO, SRI LANKA (APRIL 17, 2017) (REUTERS) EXCAVATORS OF TOP OF GARBAGE DURING RESCUE OPERATION MILITARY PERSONNEL CLIMBING DOWN GARBAGE VARIOUS OF MILITARY PERSONNEL LOOKING AT MAP VARIOUS MAN SPEAKING TO MILITARY GIVING INFORMATION ON MISSING (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARMY SPOKESMAN BRIGADIER ROSHAN SENEVIRATHNE SAYING: "Now still we are continuing with the clearance. We could recover 28 bodies, 27 complete bodies and one part of the body we cannot identify whether it is a male or female. But the count is now 28." VARIOUS OF MILITARY TALKING TO RESIDENT VARIOUS SHOTS EXCAVATOR DIGGING OFFICER PICKING UP OBJECT IN MUD (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARMY SPOKESMAN BRIGADIER ROSHAN SENEVIRATHNE SAYING: "Now I think this the mount has come down in quite a strength in manner where in some areas we have to dig up to 20 feet. In some areas 20, in some areas in might be a little further. Depending on the information we get from the people saying who are the people who are living in the area, based on those information only we can continue our process." VARIOUS OF WORKERS DIGGING DURING RESCUE OPERATION VARIOUS OF EXCAVATORS DIGGING AUTHORITIES COVERING BODY FOUND DURING OPERATION POLICE OFFICER ASKING RESIDENTS INFORMATION ABOUT BODY VARIOUS OF FATHER OF VICTIM STANDING IN FRONT OF BODY
  • Embargoed: 1st May 2017 11:54
  • Keywords: Sri Lanka garbage landslide death victims rescue
  • Location: COLOMBO, SRI LANKA
  • City: COLOMBO, SRI LANKA
  • Country: Sri Lanka
  • Topics: Disaster/Accidents
  • Reuters ID: LVA0016CSE8UD
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Rescue operations resumed on Monday (April 17) as an estimated 100 people remained trapped under the mud and debris of a landslide at a giant rubbish dump in the Sri Lankan capital.
    Police say the known death toll from the disaster has risen to 28.
    The 300-foot-high (90-metre) dump in the Meethotamulla area on the border of the commercial heart of Colombo collapsed after flames engulfed it late on Friday (April 14), the nation's New Year's Day, burying many homes.
    President Maithripala Sirisena has instructed the authorities to ensure financial resources are not an obstacle in the relief operation, his office said in a statement.
    The police said they were investigating whether the landslide was natural or man-made. They also said about 145 houses had been damaged.
    Residents of the area, mostly living in shanties, had been demanding the removal of the dump, saying it was causing health problems. The government had said it would remove it soon, under an infrastructure plan.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register