Sri Lanka confirms 100 dead in mudslides; 99 missing

Sri Lankans watch military rescue efforts at the site of a landslide in Bellana village in Kalutara district, Sri Lanka, Friday, May 26, 2017. (Source: AP Photo)

Sri Lanka’s government says the death toll from Friday’s floods and mudslides has risen to 100 with 99 others missing, as security forces and residents stepped up search and rescue operations. The Disaster Management Center says more than 2,900 people have been displaced.

The military used large armored vehicles and boats to transport people to safe areas. Residents say there are more people trapped in interior villages where boats have been unable to reach.

At an intersection close to Agalawatte, 98 kilometers (60 miles) south of capital Colombo, four bodies in coffins were kept in a house, awaiting boats to be taken to a temple where displaced people have taken refuge. Mudslides have become common during the monsoon in Sri Lanka.