The island nation of Sri Lanka is confronting immense challenges in the wake of Cyclone Ditwah’s destructive path. The cyclone unleashed torrential rains, leading to widespread flooding and treacherous landslides that have devastated multiple districts. Infrastructure has been severely damaged, and a significant number of people have been displaced. Emergency services are working tirelessly to conduct rescue and recovery missions across the disaster-stricken regions.
Official figures from the Disaster Management Centre highlight the severe impact, stating the death toll has now risen to 123. Adding to the crisis, 130 individuals are still missing, prompting continued search efforts. The Kandy District has suffered the most, with 51 confirmed deaths and 67 people missing. Badulla District also reported a high number of casualties, with 35 dead and 27 missing. Significant impacts were also recorded in Kegalle, Matale, Nuwara Eliya, and Ampara districts.
The cyclone’s fury has affected over 373,000 people, impacting 102,877 families. A dramatic rescue saw 40 individuals, including a foreign tourist, saved from a bus submerged by floodwaters on the Anuradhapura–Puttalam road. The passengers managed to reach safety by climbing onto the roof of a nearby house as the floodwaters rose.