Hundreds of desperate Sri Lankan villagers clawed through the wreckage of a deadly landslide at the Koslanda tea plantation on Thursday, defying police orders after a top disaster official said there was no chance of finding more survivors in the broken red earth of the high-elevation tea plantation.
There were conflicting reports of how many people were missing in the mudslide, which struck the island nation’s central hills on Wednesday morning.
Disaster Management Minister Mahinda Amaraweera estimated the number of dead at the plantation to be fewer than 100. But Sri Lanka’s Disaster Management Centre, which Mr. Amaraweera oversees, reported 190 people missing.
Villagers, meanwhile, said the death toll could easily exceed 200.
“I have visited the scene and from what I saw I don’t think there will be any survivors,” Mr. Amaraweera told AP on Thursday. “But that number is less than 100.”
Frustrated relatives who had watched the search from the sidelines tried to follow a politician into the search site but were stopped by police. However, the politician argued with police and took the villagers along to join hundreds of soldiers in the search for survivors buried in the mud.
Rajapaksa visits site On Thursday, President Mahinda Rajapaksa visited the disaster site and spoke to residents who are taking shelter in schools and temples. According to his website, Mr. Rajapaksa ordered officials to expedite rescue and relief for the victims.
A 48-year-old truck driver who gave his name only as Raja said he lost all five members of his household: his wife, two sons, daughter-in-law and his 6-month-old grandchild.
“I left for work early morning and got a call asking me to rush back because there was an earth slip near my home,” Raja said, weeping. “I came back and there was no trace of my home, everyone was buried.”
A local government officer familiar with the tea plantation said he believes around 250 people may have been buried, based on the number of people usually in the area at the time. There were many houses, a big Hindu temple, a playground and two milk collection centers where farmers bring their milk for selling.
The tea plantation was one of many in the higher altitudes of Sri Lanka, formerly called Ceylon, one of the world’s leading producers of tea.
Warnings were issued Most of Sri Lanka has experienced heavy rain over the past few weeks, and the Disaster Management Centre had issued warnings of mudslides and falling rocks. The monsoon season here runs from October through December.
Vettiyan Yogeswaran, who lives on a part of the tea plantation that was not affected by the landslide, said authorities had warned people that the area was vulnerable to mudslides and they should move. But he said no housing alternatives were offered.
“There are 50-70 families living in my neighborhood in the bottom of a mountain. If a mudslide happens, we all will be buried,” Yogeswaran said. “We want to leave but we have not been given a proper alternative.”
