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Hundreds Believed Killed in Sri Lanka Landslide

Sri Lankan mudslide survivors sit at a relief center set up in a school in Punagala in Badulla district, east of Colombo, Sri Lanka, Oct.30, 2014.
1/9 Sri Lankan mudslide survivors sit at a relief center set up in a school in Punagala in Badulla district, east of Colombo, Sri Lanka, Oct.30, 2014.
A Sri Lankan mudslide survivor who lost her two daughters is comforted by her father as she cries at a relief center set up in a school in Punagala in Badulla district, about 220 kilometers east of Colombo, Sri Lanka, Oct.30, 2014.
2/9 A Sri Lankan mudslide survivor who lost her two daughters is comforted by her father as she cries at a relief center set up in a school in Punagala in Badulla district, about 220 kilometers east of Colombo, Sri Lanka, Oct.30, 2014.
A Sri Lankan man navigates his way through mud and sludge caused by a mudslide at the Koslanda tea plantation in the Badulla district, about 220 kilometers east of Colombo, Sri Lanka, Oct. 30, 2014.
3/9 A Sri Lankan man navigates his way through mud and sludge caused by a mudslide at the Koslanda tea plantation in the Badulla district, about 220 kilometers east of Colombo, Sri Lanka, Oct. 30, 2014.
Villagers carry the body of a landslide victim at the Koslanda tea plantation in Badulla, about 220 kilometers east of Colombo, Sri Lanka, Oct. 29, 2014.
4/9 Villagers carry the body of a landslide victim at the Koslanda tea plantation in Badulla, about 220 kilometers east of Colombo, Sri Lanka, Oct. 29, 2014.
Sri Lankans stand at the site of a mudslide at the Koslanda tea plantation in the Badulla district, Sri Lanka, Oct. 29, 2014.
5/9 Sri Lankans stand at the site of a mudslide at the Koslanda tea plantation in the Badulla district, Sri Lanka, Oct. 29, 2014.
Rescue teams from the Sri Lankan military engage in a rescue operation at the site of a landslide at the Koslanda tea plantation in Badulla, Sri Lanka, Oct. 29, 2014.
6/9 Rescue teams from the Sri Lankan military engage in a rescue operation at the site of a landslide at the Koslanda tea plantation in Badulla, Sri Lanka, Oct. 29, 2014.
An earthmover clears debris caused by a mudslide at the Koslanda tea plantation in the Badulla district, Sri Lanka, Oct. 29, 2014.
7/9 An earthmover clears debris caused by a mudslide at the Koslanda tea plantation in the Badulla district, Sri Lanka, Oct. 29, 2014.
Sri Lankans walk past a damaged house at the site of a mudslide at the Koslanda tea plantation in the Badulla district, Sri Lanka, Oct. 29, 2014.
8/9 Sri Lankans walk past a damaged house at the site of a mudslide at the Koslanda tea plantation in the Badulla district, Sri Lanka, Oct. 29, 2014.
Sri Lankan men stand by their damaged house caused by a mudslide at the Koslanda tea plantation in the Badulla district, Sri Lanka, Oct. 29, 2014.
9/9 Sri Lankan men stand by their damaged house caused by a mudslide at the Koslanda tea plantation in the Badulla district, Sri Lanka, Oct. 29, 2014.
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​A landslide in hilly south-central Sri Lanka has buried scores of homes, raising fears that hundreds of people may have been killed.

Sri Lanka, Haldummulla mudslide
Sri Lanka, Haldummulla mudslide

In the chaos that followed the mudslide Wednesday, there was confusion about the number of dead and missing because government officials reported conflicting figures.

Disaster Management Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said more than 100 people had been killed; but the Disaster Management Center said 10 people were killed and at least 250 others were missing.

Heavy rains triggered the wave of mud that rushed into the village of Haldummulla, 192 kilometers from the capital Colombo, in the country's tea-producing region.

The government said at least 120 homes were destroyed. Media reports showed more muddy water gushing from the hilltops and indicated that more landslides could occur.

The monsoon season in Sri Lanka runs from October through December.

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