Around 200 missing in the Aranayake and Bulathkohupitiya ,
22 dead bodies found, more than 100 injured, more than 10,000 people are
victims of climate disaster.
Whilst many, caught in to an earth slip which took place on
the 17th of May, 2016 about 10.30 pm one in the Elangepitiya of Aranayake D.S.
Division of Kegalle District, Sabragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka over 220
children, women and men are missing. It is feared that most of them are dead.
17 dead bodies were taken out and 80 were injured. Rescue operations are
carried out by army men engaged towards finding if anybody is surviving. The
entire Aranayake has submerged in to mounds of earth due to the earth slip.
It is reported
that this disaster occurred on 17th night. A huge portion of the
Centre of the hill which slided following a crack on the top has consumed all 3
village. The slided earth covers an area of over a KM. And the houses of the
villages have got completely buried in to it. While many escaped running to safe areas, it is reported
that over 220 are missing, sunk in to the earth. About 80 injured and not
injured were saved by the rescue party.
However the rescue and saving operation have been hindered by darkness
and continuing rains with the risk of further earth slip.
In the meantime
Bulathkohupitiya, Kalupahana Estate (Tea Estate) of Kegalle District, 5 people
dead and 16 people including 5 men 10 women and an infant had gone missing and at-least 100
people were displaced due to a land slide which took place on 17th
May 2016 at Kalupana Estate in Bulathkohupitiya. Six Line Houses have been
razed to the ground. While 28 others were damaged. The families in the area
were evacuated and provided temporary shelter at the Government School.
Several buildings
including 3 sets of line rooms, more than 200 houses, temple, shops are
reported to have sunk in to the earth. Around 100 acres of land in the area
have been affected due to the earth slip with no trace of any building of
living being.
With 22 dead
bodies already taken out, the operation continues. Aranayake and
Bulathkohupitiya areas are in a mourning mood due to the lives lost to the
earth slip. According to the eye witnesses, the houses disappeared in a matter
of seconds and some houses are 50 feet under earth. The disaster has put the
parents losing children, children losing parents and husband or wife losing the
spouse in grief.
Affected around
300 families have been evacuated from areas prone to landslides had been housed
at 6 Welfare Centers located at Government Schools in Aranayake. At present
around 1300 children, women and men are camped in above Welfare Centers.
According to field sources, around 10,000 people are affected and evacuated in
Kegalle and Kandy districts.
According to the
Disaster Management Centre (DMC), 352,374 people belonging to 82,924 families
were affected by the adverse weather conditions island wide. Many number of
people including children and women injured. Meanwhile the DMC said 223,689
people of 48,998 families were relocated in 376 safe places.
Relief activities
have been started. Many well-wishers, and government authorities involve
in relief actions. Victims are
complaining that they were not received proper guidance and alternative
temporary shelters from the government authorities in some areas.
HDO Team today (19
May 2016) met Deputy Government Agent of Kegalle District, Divisional Secretary
of Aranayake and the NGO Coordinator Kegalle District, Divisional Secretariat
officers of Bulathkohupitiya, & Divisional Secretary Deltota, Kandy
District and discussed with them on the government intervention on rescue
activities and relief work. They also discussed about NGO-GO collaboration in
relief work. HDO Team visited affected areas and Camps, discussed issues with
the affected people. HDO is in the process of developing a relief and
rehabilitation intervention program
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