UPDATE 2
18/05/2016 – Colombo, Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka Red Cross rescue team volunteers are continuously working along side Government Forces and other services in order to search for over 200 families missing in Siripura, Pallebage and Elagipitiya villages in Aranayake, Kegalle after a massive landslide occurred last night.
According to Government figures there has been 220 families in the three villages living. The task is to figure out what happened to them and as to where they are. Earlier warnings were issued of possible landslides in the area and officials are hoping that most took heed of the warning and moved towards a safer location.
Four temporary camps have been set up by the Government. One camp is being managed by the Red Cross located at the Viyaneliya Temple. Here 384 persons are taking shelter. Assessments are underway by the Red Cross to determine as to where they are from in order to figure out whether they are survivors from the landslide.
The Red Cross is providing cooked food, dry rations, milk power, blankets, clothes, non food relief items as well as first aid and sanitary services.
UPDATE 1
18/05/2016 – Colombo, Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka Red Cross Society’s rescue teams joined Government Authorities in the wee hours of Wednesday in search for over 200 families missing since a massive landslide came down on the Siripura, Pallebage and Elagipitya villages in Aranayake located in the Kegalle District.
Electricity was cut off completely last night making it difficult for rescue teams to reach the locations, but in the initial hours managed to rescue over 180 persons. They have been housed at the Viyaneliya Temple. We are managing the camp and has provided them with first aid, cooked food, dry rations, blankets and other relief items.
Two rescue teams have been deployed in search for the missing by the Red Cross in order to join main rescue teams. Authorities managing the rescue efforts believe that a larger number of people would have been victims of this landslide.
Here are some of the pictures received by our rescue teams on their way to the villages. As of now 13 bodies have been recovered from the site of the landslide.