Friday, 31 October 2014 01:20
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The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that UN humanitarian agencies are on standby to help Sri Lanka after heavy rains caused landslides killing many people, a UN spokesman said.
“The National Disaster Management Center reports that at least six people have died, 300 people are missing and 150 houses are destroyed,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said, according to a news report by Xinhua. “OCHA is in close contact with this Centre and stands ready to support as requested.”
“The Sri Lankan Red Cross Society has mobilised first aid teams, while the World Health Organisation (WHO) is supporting the Sri Lankan Ministry of Health efforts to assist the affected communities,” he said.
The landslide hit a village in the hilly area after days of heavy monsoon rains. More than 100 people are believed to have been killed on Wednesday as it buried scores of houses, and the toll is likely to rise, reports said.
The commander of the Security Forces Headquarters in the area, Major General Mano Perera, said that the security forces took part in a massive rescue operation. Some houses were buried in more than 30 feet (some 9.14 metres) of mud following heavy rains in the area the previous night.
India offers help for landslide rescue operations
India has offered assistance to Sri Lanka to help hundreds of people affected by Wednesday’s landslide in the central hills of tea plantations.
Indian High Commissioner Y. .K Sinha spoke to External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris and offered the assistance to deal with the landslide disaster, the PTI reported. The massive landslide that levelled the Meeriya Badda village in Koslanda, Haldummulla area of Badulla district buried about 70 houses, 10 shops and several Government buildings.
