Death toll in Sri Lanka garbage mound collapse rises to 27

The country’s Disaster Management Center says 11 people were injured and 79 homes were destroyed when the mound collapsed on Friday.


Authorities say the number of dead and missing has risen from the collapse of a massive garbage mound near Sri Lanka’s capital.

At least 27 people have died and some 30 others are missing and are feared to be beneath the rubble. The Disaster Management Center said Monday that 11 people were injured and 79 homes were destroyed when the mound collapsed Friday as people celebrated the local new year.

Military personnel were searching the site in Meetotamulla, outside Colombo, and were speaking to survivors to determine how many people were still missing.

The site became a dumping ground for Colombo’s garbage as authorities pushed to develop the capital in recent years.

Residents protesting the dumping because of health hazards.

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