The garbage dump collapse in the town of Meetotamulla, near Colombo, has killed at least 30 people, while damaging approximately 150 homes.
"This is a government-made disaster…I have a mix of feelings — of anger, frustration and sorrow. We have been trying to protest and raise these issues, but no one was listening," a local resident stated.
Following the disaster, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe vowed to close the dump – a site that has absorbed much of Colombo’s waste over the past several years, especially as the capital undergoes heavy construction.