Massive Mound of Garbage Collapses, Killing 16

The homes of 625 people were destroyed or under threat in Sri Lanka
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Apr 15, 2017 4:56 PM CDT
16 Killed in Sri Lanka as Huge Mound of Garbage Collapses
A Sri Lankan woman who lost her family members in a garbage dump collapse cries in Meetotamulla, on the outskirts of Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, April 15, 2017.   (Eranga Jayawardena)

At least 16 people were killed and more than 600 others fled their homes after a massive mound of garbage collapsed on part of a town outside of Sri Lanka's capital during festivities to mark the local new year, officials said Saturday. Four people were rescued from underneath the mound, but it was unclear whether any others were buried, said military spokesman Roshan Seneviratne. Soldiers were searching the site. The AP reports 625 people whose homes were either destroyed or under threat were being housed in nearby schools. The Disaster Management Center said at least 12 other people were injured in the incident, which happened Friday night in Meetotamulla, a town near Colombo.

The site has been used to dump Colombo's garbage for the past few years as authorities sought to give the capital a face-lift. But residents living in tiny homes in the area have protested against waste being dumped there because of health hazards. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said in a statement Saturday that the government would soon remove the garbage dump from the area. (More garbage stories.)

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