Cyclone Ditwah leaves Sri Lanka devastated: 193 dead, 228 missing in widespread floods

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Colombo: Devastating floods have torn through parts of Colombo as Sri Lanka struggles with the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, with the death toll rising to 193 and another 228 people still missing, Al Jazeera reported, citing the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) statement.

The cyclone’s relentless weeklong rains triggered widespread floods and mudslides across the island. Only now–after rescue teams cleared blocked roads–is the true scale of destruction in the central region coming into focus.

“Although the cyclone has left us, heavy rains upstream are now flooding low-lying areas along the banks of the Kelani River,” a DMC official said, as northern parts of the capital faced rising floodwaters.

In Manampitiya, about 250km (155 miles) northeast of Colombo, receding waters revealed catastrophic damage. “Manampitiya is a flood-prone town, but I have never seen such a volume of water,” said 72-year-old resident S Sivanandan, describing ruined homes, businesses and roads, as per Al Jazeera.

The disaster has also created a medical emergency. Blood supplies have plunged to dangerous levels, with blood bank chief Lakshman Edirisinghe reporting just 236 units collected on Saturday–far short of the daily need of 1,500.

“Because of floods and heavy rains, we were unable to conduct our mobile campaigns to collect blood,” he said, urging people to donate at hospitals and blood banks, according to Al Jazeera.

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Authorities are also warning that saturated mountain slopes could trigger new landslides in the days ahead.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake declared a state of emergency on Saturday and appealed for international help. India was first to respond, sending relief supplies and rescue helicopters, while Japan have also pledged assistance.

The cyclone has destroyed more than 25,000 homes, forcing 147,000 people into temporary shelters, with another 968,000 requiring assistance after being displaced. Military personnel are working alongside civilian responders in the huge relief effort.

This marks Sri Lanka’s deadliest natural disaster since 2017, when floods and landslides killed more than 200 people. The country’s worst flooding this century occurred in June 2003, killing 254 people.

(Source: ANI)

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