Saturday, 29 November 2025
Saturday, 29 November 2025
At least 153 people have been killed in Sri Lanka after landslides and flooding triggered by Cyclone Ditwah, officials said on Saturday, with 191 others missing and more than half a million residents affected nationwide.
The Disaster Management Centre said more than 78,000 people have taken shelter in nearly 800 relief centres, most of which have been set up in schools, as thousands of police, navy personnel and army troops continue distributing food, clearing roads and evacuating trapped families.
Among those displaced is Mallika Kumari, whose home in Malwana was submerged up to the roof on Friday.
She and her husband bundled their three children into a rented lorry and spent the night along a roadside after water levels rose faster than expected along the Kelani River.
Her community, located 20 kilometres from Colombo, is facing the worst flooding in a decade. Rescue boats are transporting stranded residents, including Kumari, who hoped to retrieve her children’s clothes and school books.
"I first heard about the flood warning on TV but we never expected the river to overflow so quickly. We just rushed out of the house without anything," Kumari told Reuters.
"We haven't even had breakfast. Two of my sons have caught the flu. I have to get them medication. I've brought a few garbage bags to collect their clothes."
In the haste to escape, she left behind the family cat, which was later rescued by a navy boat.
Authorities said most homes in Malwana and other low lying areas near Colombo remain under water and without electricity.
Continued rainfall has been forecast through the weekend, raising fears of further flooding in already waterlogged districts.
Some residents have chosen to remain on upper floors of partially submerged houses to protect their belongings, while local pharmacies, supermarkets and fabric shops have been inundated, adding to concerns about long term financial losses.
At the Dalugala Thakiya Mosque, volunteers prepared rice parcels with chicken and dhal curry for those displaced, and organisers said they hope to increase capacity by Sunday.
"We are getting more requests for food because people who work daily jobs cannot find work and are running low on savings," said Risham Ahmed, one of the meal organisers.
"They are worried about how to piece their lives back together."
International assistance began arriving as devastation spread across the island. India was the first responder, prompting the United States and the Maldives to follow with offers of aid.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake declared a nationwide state of emergency. The United States announced an immediate allocation of 2 million dollars to support emergency relief efforts.
US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung said communities across the island are facing “difficult days” with heavy rains and widespread flooding affecting many areas.
She stated that the United States stands in solidarity with Sri Lanka during this crisis and reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to assisting affected families.
The Maldivian government pledged financial assistance of 50,000 dollars and a donation of 25,000 cases of tuna cans on behalf of its people.
India sent around 21 tonnes of relief materials on Saturday in two military transport aircraft, a day after delivering a first tranche of more than six tonnes of essential supplies under Operation Sagar Bandhu.
Two urban search and rescue teams comprising 80 National Disaster Response Force personnel were deployed, while two Chetak helicopters from aircraft carrier INS Vikrant joined operations.
A total of about 27 tonnes of relief material has been delivered by air and sea, with more expected to follow.
