Sri Lanka Declares Emergency as Cyclone Deaths Rise to 132

Photo: Collected

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

The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said more than 15,000 homes had been destroyed, forcing around 78,000 people to take shelter in state-run facilities.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake invoked emergency laws, granting him sweeping powers to respond to the devastation after a week of relentless rain.

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

The military rescued 69 bus passengers on Saturday — including a German tourist — who were stranded in Anuradhapura after a 24-hour operation involving a helicopter and naval boats. One of the passengers said navy sailors helped them climb onto the roof of a nearby house using ropes as floodwaters rose.

“We were very lucky… while we were on the roof, part of it collapsed. Three women fell into the water but were helped back,” said Shantha, recounting the ordeal. A helicopter had to abandon an initial rescue attempt because the rotor downdraft threatened to blow away the roof.

Roads in the central district of Badulla remained cut off, leaving several villages inaccessible and slowing the delivery of relief supplies.

“We lost two people in our village… others are sheltering at a temple and one surviving house,” said Saman Kumara from Maspanna in Badulla, one of the hardest-hit areas. “We can’t leave, and no one can reach us. All roads are blocked by landslides, there is no food, and we are running out of clean water.”

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

Cyclone Ditwah moved away from Sri Lanka on Saturday and headed towards India’s southern coast. Chennai Airport cancelled 54 flights as authorities warned of extremely heavy rainfall and strong winds over the next two days.

Fresh landslides were reported in Kandy, with parts of the main access road submerged.

Sri Lanka has appealed for international assistance and urged citizens abroad to contribute cash donations. Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya briefed Colombo-based diplomats on the crisis and sought support.

India was the first to respond, sending two aircraft with relief supplies. An Indian warship docked in Colombo also donated its rations to support affected communities. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences and said India stood ready to send further aid.

Flooding intensified in low-lying areas on Saturday, prompting evacuation orders along the Kelani River, which flows through Colombo into the Indian Ocean.

Although rain eased in much of the country, the northern region continued to experience showers from the cyclone’s trailing effects.

Cyclone Ditwah is the deadliest natural disaster Sri Lanka has experienced since 2017, when over 200 people died in floods and landslides. The country’s worst flooding this century occurred in 2003, killing 254 people.