Lanka landslide: India offers assistance to Colombo

India today offered assistance to Sri Lanka to deal with the deadly landslide in which nearly 200 people were feared to have been buried alive.
External Affairs Minister Suishma Swaraj conveyed her condolences to her Sri Lanka counterpart G L Peiris on tragic loss of lives and offered assistance.
The landslide that struck yesterday was triggered by heavy rains and wiped out 120 workers' homes at the Meeriabedda tea estate in the central Badulla district. Nearly 200 people are feared to have been buried alive.
Indian High Commissioner Y K Sinha spoke to Peiris and offered the assistance.
Sri Lankan Army has deployed a contingent of over 500 troops from the Security Forces Headquarters to rescue operations.

Together with army soldiers, Sri Lankan Air Force troops, policemen, health teams and civil relief teams are also currently engaged in the operations.