Rescuers have pulled 37 bodies out of the mud, and an additional 200 people are said to be missing. Rescuers are continuing to pull out bodies from the wreckage caused by the mudslides and officials fear that the death toll would keep increasing as the rescue teams work to clean up the wreckage.
Sri Lankan president Sirisena said that the loss of life is devastating after the floods and mudslides have forced more than 137,000 people from their homes. President Mathripala Sirisena personally flew to the remote slopes of the countries hill where the landslides have buried villages in Kegalle district.
The Disaster Management has updated their death toll after rescue workers retrieved bodies from Aranayake and neighbouring Bulathkohupitiya. The Disaster Management Centre revealed that a total of 37 bodies have been recovered from under the mud and 28 people were being treated for weather related injuries during the past three days.
The Red Cross, who has also been delivering aid and working with the rescue teams said that their efforts had been hampered as the roads leading to the slopes were not safe. They revealed that the teams had to go to the slopes on foot and had to start digging with their bare hands initially as the teams were not able to get the heavy equipment needed to the landslide site.
The Kegalle district had received more than 100mm of rain on the 15th and the 16th of may. Officials have revealed that two nearby villages have been evacuated due to dangers of a fresh landslide.
