By

Madura Ranwala

The Police Spokesman yesterday contradicted the figure of 192 given by Disaster Management Centre (DMC) as the number of missing people in Wednesday’s landslide on the Ampitikanda estate, Mihiribedda. He said it was only 37 and the actual number of bodies recovered so far as three. They were a 62-year-old man, six year-old girl and a woman aged over 50 years. The former two had been identified but the latter remained unidentified, he said.

Addressing a media briefing at the Police Headquarters, SSP Ajith Rohana said many news reports had claimed that eight bodies had been recovered but the actual number of bodies found was above the mentioned figure and challenged anyone to prove if the figure was wrong.

The data had been collected from the statements by the people who were being temporarily sheltered in the two welfare camps, Grama Niladari and estate manager in that estate called Kotawatte, the SSP said.

“Police investigations are still underway but figures of missing and recovered bodies won’t be more than five” he insisted.

On the day tragedy struck, Badulla District Secretary Rohana Keerthi Dissanayake told The Island that the number of people living there were 317. The following day, the government said that they had 75 children, who survived only due to being in their schools at the time of the disaster.

Asked the number of refugees sheltered temporarily in the two camps at Koslanda Tamil School and Punagala Tamil School, SSP Rohana said it was 684 and 788 respectively.

The numbers of missing and dead persons were 11 men, 20 women and six children both male and female.

Eleven men are: Mohan Sundaram (55), Kandaiya Ravichandran (48), Moraruwa Sumbramaniyam (55), Arumugam Mutthu (75), Maradavidan (55), Rasa Muttu Murudai (75), S. Chrishnan (75), Mari Muttu (80), Vijayaraj (23), Yogaraj Prasad (23) and Sannan Chrishnan (60).

The women are: P. Saraswathi (50), Wimalalai Thappanyam (55), Rajakumari (45), Periyandan Ranjidam (45), Subramaniyam Bawani (35), P. Gunawathi (35), Prasanthani (40), Chandra Wadini (30), Seetha Lechchami (22), Devi Mary (30), Leelawathi (65), Mariyai (80), Theiwanei (80), Eshwari Rasamma (55), Pushpawathi Amma (50), Dana Lechchami (75), M. Mariyai (75), Selwanai (55), Chrishanthi Dammika (48, midwife) and SubaShini Lakmali (20).

Three girls below eight years are: Senu Anjana (six month), Dukshika (07) and Arumugam Nilushika (06) and the three boys under 16 years are Susan (15), Lakshan (05) and N. N. Sujan (14).

Courtesy:The Island