COLOMBO (HRNW) : The death toll from devastating floods and landslides triggered by Cyclone Ditwah has risen to 123, with another 130 people still unaccounted for, Sri Lanka’s Disaster Management Centre (DMC) reported on Saturday.
DMC Director General Sampath Kotuwegoda said large-scale relief efforts are ongoing, with 43,995 residents displaced and housed in government-run welfare centres after week-long torrential rains destroyed homes and infrastructure.
Although the cyclone has begun to move away from Sri Lanka toward India, authorities say it has already caused severe and widespread damage.
“Relief operations with the support of the armed forces are underway,” Kotuwegoda told media in Colombo.
The island has been experiencing the effects of the storm since Monday, though Cyclone Ditwah officially made landfall on Wednesday, unleashing record rainfall across many regions.
Flood conditions deteriorated further on Saturday in low-lying areas, prompting urgent evacuation orders for communities along the Kelani River, which runs through Colombo and empties into the Indian Ocean. The river overflowed on Friday evening, forcing hundreds into temporary shelters, according to the DMC.
While rains eased across much of the country—including the capital—showers persisted in northern areas due to the cyclone’s lingering influence.
India dispatched a planeload of emergency supplies early Saturday to assist affected families. Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed condolences for the loss of life and reiterated New Delhi’s readiness to provide additional support.
“We stand ready to provide more aid and assistance as the situation evolves,” Modi said on X.
Sri Lanka has deployed military personnel, helicopters, and boats to intensify rescue and relief operations nationwide, particularly in areas where residents remain stranded.
Officials warn that current flood levels may surpass those of 2016, when 71 people died. This week’s death toll is already the highest since June last year, when heavy rains claimed 26 lives. Another 17 people died during flooding and landslides in December.
Sri Lanka’s worst flooding in recent history occurred in June 2003, when 254 people were killed.
