More than 150 people feared buried in Sri Lanka landslides - rescue officials


A woman stands on a flooded road in Biyagama, Sri Lanka May 17, 2016. REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte

COLOMBO (Reuters) - Around 150 people are feared dead after more than three days of heavy rain triggered two landslides in central Sri Lanka, disaster officials said on Wednesday as rescuers stopped work after recovering more than a dozen bodies.

Torrential rains have forced more than 223,000 people from their homes across the South Asian country, the latest official data showed. Seventeen bodies have been recovered, bringing the official death toll to 37, although that figure is likely to rise sharply.

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