Editorial photo #1913229 Social Issue

Sri Lanka Garbage Collapse

A Sri Lanka Army soldier is seen working at the site of the collapsed garbage mountain at Meetotamulla, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 23 April 2017. Sri Lanka's National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) declared Meethotamulla Garbage dump site as a danger zone last week and requested residents to be evacuated from the vicinity.Following the orders residents of over 150 houses have been asked to move with immediate effect. A huge man-made Garbage mountain, at the edge of the capitol city Colombo created with dumping the ever increasing waste from the city collapsed on houses in the vicinity on 14 April 2017. The death toll from the Meethotamulla tragedy has reached 31 and several more are still missing. A team of Japanese experts in Sri Lanka to investigate into the cause of the collapse and aid Sri Lanka’s waste disposal process stated on 21 April 2017 that Methane levels at the Meethotamulla garbage dump is measured at 16% and the conditions are extremely flammable. (Photo by Tharaka Basnayaka/NurPhoto)