Sri Lanka on Wednesday concluded its search five days after a 300-feet mound of garbage collapsed in the Meetotamulla area of Kolonnawa near Colombo, AFP reported. The incident, which was triggered by a night of rain, claimed the lives of 32 people and forced hundreds of residents to evacuate the area.
“We are still carrying out clearing operations. The final death toll is 32 and a handful of people who were listed as missing are now accounted for,” said military spokesman Roshan Seneviratne. A major operation was launched to clear the garbage that had fallen over a slum in the area.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe vowed to provide the survivors with permanent housing within a couple of months and to relocate the garbage dump. Before the collapse, the Parliament was warned about the threat and had asked for a long-term solution to deal with the city’s garbage.
The waste management situation has worsened in Colombo after the dump was shut down on Friday. The city’s civic body had promised to clear the garbage from the streets by April 19.
Meanwhile, protestors agitated against the dumping of thrash in smaller landfills.
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