India on Monday evacuated the last batch of its stranded nationals from Sri Lanka as New Delhi stepped up assistance to Colombo's rescue operations for victims of Cyclone Ditwah, officials said.
Under Operation Sagar Bandhu, 104 Indian passengers stranded at Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo reached Thiruvananthapuram on an Indian Air Force aircraft at around 6.30 am, the Indian High Commission said in a social media post.
In a statement, the mission said India has intensified its support to Sri Lanka's rescue efforts and expanded operations across several affected regions.
Chetak helicopters from INS Vikrant airlifted several people to safer locations, while IAF helicopters carried out search missions in Kotmale, a central hill area that remains one of the worst hit with no road access due to landslides and flooding, it said.
“National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, India's specialised Disaster Response Agency for Search and Rescue and HADR (Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief) activities, who arrived yesterday in Colombo, carried out rescue operations in Kochikade, working closely with Sri Lanka authorities," the release said.
NDRF teams are now working in Puttalam and Badulla areas, which are severely impacted and cut off, it said.
"NDRF assisted families affected by severe flooding and helped ensure their immediate safety,” it said.
The Indian Air Force has evacuated over 300 Indian nationals stranded in Sri Lanka due to Cyclone Ditwah and brought them to the Thiruvananthapuram airport.
IAF aircraft operated from Colombo to Thiruvananthapuram reached here by 7.30 pm on Sunday, a Defence spokesman said.
According to the Defence spokesperson, IAF’s IL-76 and C-130J heavy lift carriers, which were used to deliver rescue material and NDRF teams to the island nation, were used for the evacuation of stranded passengers.
IAF continues to extend critical Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) support to the people of Sri Lanka as part of Operation Sagar Bandhu, following the severe humanitarian impact caused by recent natural calamities in the region, a press release said.
Conducting multiple missions, IAF helicopters have airlifted a total of 57 Sri Lankan Army personnel from Diyathalawa Army Camp and Colombo to Kotmale.
Kotmale is the landslide-affected area in the central province of Sri Lanka, which is totally cut off by road.
A hybrid mission was undertaken by the IAF, wherein Garud Commandos were dropped near the stranded civilians and then guided to pre-identified landing sites, where they were picked up by the helicopter crew, the spokesperson said.
“A total of 55 civilians, which included Indians, foreign nationals and Sri Lankan survivors, were successfully evacuated to Colombo. Operating round the clock, the two Indian helicopters have flown more than 12 sorties for the rescue operations till now,” the release added.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's Air Force confirmed the death of a pilot after a Bell 212 helicopter crashed while attempting to deliver relief supplies in Wennappuwa on the north western coast.
The crash occurred as the pilot manoeuvred the chopper away from crowds on the ground and attempted a water landing to avoid civilian casualties. Five other Air Force personnel remain in critical condition.
In a separate statement, the Sri Lanka Navy said five sailors who went missing during rescue operations in Chundikulam in the northern province were found dead.
Sri Lanka continues to grapple with widespread flooding, landslides and infrastructure collapse triggered by Cyclone Ditwah, leaving multiple districts isolated and overwhelming the country’s disaster response capacity.
As of Sunday, 334 people have been killed and 370 remain missing in catastrophic floods and landslides caused by extreme weather since 16 November.