Sri Lanka declares emergency as cyclone toll hits 132

AFP/APP

Colombo: Sri Lanka declared a state of emergency on Saturday and appealed for international assistance as the death toll from heavy rains and floods triggered by Cyclone Ditwah rose to 132, with another 176 reported missing.

The extreme weather system has destroyed more than 15,000 homes, forcing 78,000 people into state-run temporary shelters, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake invoked emergency laws, granting him sweeping powers to deal with the devastation after a week of torrential rain across the island.

“We have 132 confirmed dead and another 176 missing,” DMC Director-General Sampath Kotuwegoda said, adding that relief efforts had been bolstered with the deployment of the army, navy and air force.

The military on Saturday rescued 69 bus passengers, including a German tourist, who were marooned in the Anuradhapura district. The 24-hour operation involved a helicopter and naval boats.

One of the rescued passengers said navy sailors helped them climb onto the roof of a nearby home using ropes to guide them safely through the floodwaters.

“We were very lucky… while we were on the roof, a part of it collapsed. Three women fell into the water, but they were helped back onto the roof,” said Shantha.

A helicopter had to abort an initial rescue attempt as the rotor downdraft threatened to blow away the fragile roof. The passengers were eventually evacuated by naval boats.

Roads in the central district of Badulla remained inaccessible, leaving many villages cut off and preventing relief supplies from getting through.

“We lost two people in our village. Others are sheltering at a temple and a house that is still standing,” said Saman Kumara from Maspanna, one of the worst-hit villages.

No clean water, power outages

“We can’t leave the village and no one can enter because all roads are blocked by earth slips. There is no food and we are short of clean water,” Kumara told News Center by phone.

Officials said about one-third of the country was without electricity and running water as power lines had collapsed and water purification facilities were inundated. Internet services were also disrupted in many areas.

Cyclone Ditwah moved away from the island on Saturday and headed toward southern India.

India’s Chennai Airport cancelled 54 flights in view of the cyclone’s approach, with the weather department forecasting extremely heavy rainfall and strong winds over the next 48 hours.

Fresh landslides hit the central district of Kandy, with the main access road submerged in several locations.

Appeal for international assistance

The Sri Lankan government appealed for international help and urged Sri Lankans abroad to donate funds for affected communities.

Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya met Colombo-based diplomats to brief them on the situation and request support.

India was the first to respond, sending two aircraft carrying relief supplies. An Indian warship already docked in Colombo on a goodwill visit donated its rations to assist victims.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences and said New Delhi was ready to send more aid.

Flooding in low-lying areas worsened on Saturday, prompting evacuation orders for residents along the banks of the Kelani River, which flows through Colombo to the Indian Ocean.

Rain eased in most parts of the country, including the capital, but the north continued to receive showers due to the cyclone’s residual effects.

Cyclone Ditwah is Sri Lanka’s deadliest natural disaster since 2017, when floods and landslides killed more than 200 people. The country’s worst flooding in recent decades occurred in June 2003, claiming 254 lives.

Sri Lanka, Pakistan teams to observe a minute of silence

Sri Lanka and Pakistan teams observe a minute of silence before today’s T20I game at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Sri Lanka and Pakistan national men’s teams will observe a minute of silence in honour of those who have lost their lives due to the ongoing extreme weather conditions in Sri Lanka.

Both teams will stand together in remembrance before the start of the final match of the ongoing tri-series, featuring Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Zimbabwe.