Sri Lanka counts 123 dead, dozens missing after Cyclone Ditwah

At least 123 people have died and 130 others gone missing due to massive flooding and landslides across Sri Lanka following Cyclone Ditwah, local media reported on Saturday.

The Kandy District has reported 51 deaths, with 67 people still unaccounted for. In the Badulla District, 35 deaths have been confirmed, and 27 people remain missing, local news provider Ada Derana reported on Saturday.

Other districts have also been affected, with nine deaths in Kegalle, eight in Matale, six in Nuwara Eliya, and five in Ampara.

Cyclone Ditwah, which hit Sri Lanka on November 26, has affected 373,428 people from 102,877 families, while 43,925 people have been relocated to 488 shelters in response to the crisis.

Severe weather, including intense rainfall, rising floodwaters, and landslides, has been impacting the island since November 17.

Authorities have also issued high-risk flood alerts for several major rivers, advising people living downstream of these waterways to evacuate immediately.

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has ordered the deployment of more than 20,000 military personnel to conduct rescue operations, according to the Daily Mirror.

Authorities earlier issued a red-alert landslide warning for eight high-risk districts, signaling a severe risk to steep slopes, hillside communities, and vulnerable zones.

According to the All India Radio, Ditwah is likely to move India’s southern coast in Tamil Nadu state by early Sunday, disrupting flight services and education in some regions.

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Source: TRT