2 dead; mudslide buries workers' houses in Sri Lanka

A mudslide in central Sri Lanka buried several rows of workers' houses at a tea estate on Wednesday, killing at least two people. Many other people were feared buried, and officials were checking on further casualties.

The mudslide struck at around 7:30 am and wiped out seven rows of laborers' quarters and four other homes, said S Hapuarachchi, an official from the Disaster Management Center.

It hit the Meeribedda tea estate in Badulla district, 218 kilometers (135 miles) southeast of the capital, Colombo.

Two people have been confirmed dead and many others are feared to be buried in the mudslide, with a vast area of the estate covered by earth, Hapuarachchi said.

It was not immediately clear how many workers were living in the quarters. Workers' quarters at Sri Lanka's tea estates are arranged in rows that sometimes have up to 10 houses each.

The military has mobilized troops to help in the rescue operations.

Sri Lanka's famous Ceylon tea is produced mainly in the central hills of the island nation.

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