Tragically 17 People Feared Missing After Massive Landslide Devastates Gangoda, Kand, Sri Lanka
Kandy, Sri Lanka – November 27, 2025
The ongoing extreme weather crisis fueled by Cyclone Ditwah has led to a catastrophic landslide in the Gangoda area of Kandy, resulting in the confirmed death of three people and leaving a staggering 17 individuals feared missing under a massive volume of earth and debris. The tragedy unfolded today, compounding the growing national emergency sparked by the heavy rainfall across Sri Lanka’s central highlands.
Local authorities and the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) have classified the Gangoda landslide as one of the most severe incidents resulting from the current weather system, which has saturated the region’s already unstable slopes. The area is known for its steep terrain and dense population, dramatically increasing the risk of such disasters.
Details of the Catastrophe
The landslide struck a residential area in Gangoda, a village nestled in the Kandy district, known for its vulnerability to earth slips during prolonged periods of rain.
- Confirmed Casualties: Rescue teams, battling treacherous conditions, have recovered the bodies of three victims confirmed to have perished in the incident.
- Missing Persons: Reports indicate that around 17 people from multiple households in the immediate vicinity of the collapse are missing and believed to be buried beneath the massive earth slip.
- Rescue Efforts: A massive search and rescue operation has been launched, involving specialized teams from the Sri Lanka Army, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC), and local police and volunteers. The complexity of the slide, with its sheer volume of mud, rock, and destroyed building materials, has made the recovery effort slow and extremely perilous for the responders.
The incident contributed significantly to the national death toll, which has tragically climbed to over 30 fatalities across the island due to weather-related events since the onset of the cyclonic weather.
Kandy District Under State of Crisis
The Gangoda disaster has amplified the crisis in the Kandy District, prompting authorities to escalate disaster protocols:
- Landslide Warnings: The National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) had earlier issued stringent Red Alerts for the Kandy District, urging residents in high-risk slopes to evacuate immediately. The tragedy serves as a grim validation of these warnings.
- Displacement: Hundreds of families in the wider Kandy area, including those near Gangoda, have been ordered to evacuate their homes and move into temporary safe locations, often community halls and schools, as officials fear further destabilization of slopes due to continued rainfall.
- Road Closures: Travel in and out of the Kandy District, a major transport hub, has been severely affected, with key roads closed due to flooding and landslides, hampering the movement of essential relief and heavy machinery needed for the rescue operation at Gangoda.
The focus remains on the missing persons at Gangoda, with recovery efforts expected to continue into the night, dependent on the stability of the remaining hillside and the intensity of the rain. The government’s decision to declare a special public holiday for non-essential services on Friday (November 28) is directly aimed at ensuring that rescue and essential services have unimpeded access to disaster zones like Gangoda.
