Buildings, the temple and shops and many people had all disappeared. Huge mounds of earth covered the houses and muddy water still gushing from the hilltops. The information provided was modified many times. The latest news declared six dead and 150 missing. The military mobilized troops to help with the rescue operation as rain continued to fall in the island nation’s central hills but the search was later called off for the night because of rain and muddy conditions. About 500 military personnel and civilians searched for survivors on the scene. The area had been marked vulnerable since 2008 and even evacuation drills had been conducted. The Disaster Management Center had issued warnings of mudslides and falling rocks before this mudslide occurred. A possible cause for the tragedy is the absence of a proper rain water draining system on the hill.
