The death toll from Cyclone Ditwah has reached 334 confirmed fatalities, making it Sri Lanka's worst natural disaster in twenty years. The catastrophic floods and landslides have severely affected over 1.3 million people across the island nation, surpassing the immediate damage caused by the 2004 Asian tsunami.
Unprecedented Scale of Destruction
The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) reports that approximately 400 people remain missing as relief workers gradually clear roads blocked by fallen trees and mudslides. The central region, including areas like Kandy and Badulla, has been particularly hard-hit by the record-breaking rainfall.
Critical infrastructure has suffered devastating damage with thousands of homes either damaged or completely destroyed. This has forced nearly 200,000 people to seek refuge in state-run temporary shelters. Large parts of the country continue to experience widespread power and water supply cuts, affecting up to 25% of electricity customers.
Although rainfall has decreased in many areas, low-lying sections of the capital Colombo remain heavily flooded. Authorities have issued warnings that flood levels along the Kelani River might require at least another day to recede significantly.
International Response and Rescue Operations
In response to the unprecedented disaster scale, Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake declared a state of emergency to accelerate rescue and relief operations. The president has committed to rebuilding efforts with international support.
India emerged as the first responder, launching a major Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operation. An Indian helicopter successfully rescued 24 people stranded in the central town of Kotmale, located approximately 90 kilometres northeast of Colombo. Among those rescued were a pregnant woman and a man in a wheelchair.
The international community has mobilized support with Pakistan dispatching rescue teams and Japan pledging assistance while sending assessment teams to evaluate Sri Lanka's immediate requirements.
Ongoing Challenges and Regional Impact
Despite the massive relief operation focusing on restoring essential services and locating missing persons, the situation remains critical. A Bell 212 helicopter carrying vital supplies for a stranded hospital crashed into a river north of Colombo, though fortunately all five crew members survived the incident.
The weakened Cyclone Ditwah continues moving northward toward the coastlines of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh in India, where it has already triggered heavy rainfall and weather alerts. The full extent of the calamity continues to unfold as access to affected areas improves and assessment teams reach previously inaccessible locations.
