Sri Lanka landslides death toll climbs to 24

Bare hands: Troops clearing rubble at Elangipitiya village in Aranayaka. — Reuters

ARANAYAKA (Sri Lanka): Sri Lankan troops recovered seven more bodies from piles of mud raising the death toll from rain-triggered landslides that buried two villages to 24, an official said.

Soldiers and police were searching for dozens more reported missing in the landslides that hit a mountainous area late Tuesday, after days of heavy rains that have brought flooding to many parts of the island.