Cyclone Ditwah: Sri Lanka floods death toll climbs to 123; President Dissanayake declares state of emergency

Flooding prompted authorities to issue evacuation orders for those living along the banks of the Kelani River.

Add DNA as a Preferred Source

General TRENDING NOW

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Saturday issued an extraordinary gazette notification declaring a state of public emergency in the country. The notification has been issued in the wake of the widespread destruction left by Cyclone Ditwah. Sri Lanka has also appealed for international aid as the death toll from heavy rains and floods triggered by Cyclone Ditwah rose to 123, with another 130 reported missing, according to Al Jazeera.

The extreme weather system has destroyed nearly 15,000 houses across Sri Lanka, sending almost 44,000 people to state-run temporary shelters, the country’s Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said on Saturday. Although Cyclone Ditwah was heading towards neighbouring India to the north, more landslides have hit the central district of Kandy, 115 km (70 miles) east of the national capital Colombo, with the main access road under water at several locations.

DMC chief Sampath Kotuwegoda said relief operations had been strengthened with the deployment of thousands of members of the army, navy, and the air force as he announced the latest casualty figures, as per Al Jazeera. “Relief operations with the help of the armed forces are underway,” Kotuwegoda told reporters in Colombo. Mahesh Gunasekara, the secretary-general of the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society, said many people have been stranded in various flood-hit areas as rescue crews are trying to reach them.

Flooding prompted authorities to issue evacuation orders for those living along the banks of the Kelani River, which flows into the Indian Ocean from Colombo. The Kelani burst its banks on Friday evening, forcing hundreds of people into temporary shelters, the DMC said. The government issued an appeal for international help and asked Sri Lankans abroad to make cash donations to support nearly half a million affected people. Officials said Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya had met with Colombo-based diplomats to update them on the situation and seek the help of their governments. India was among the first to respond, sending two planeloads of relief supplies. At the same time, an Indian warship already in Colombo on a previously planned goodwill visit donated its rations to help victims.

(With input from news agency ANI).

Find your daily dose of All Latest News including Sports News, Entertainment News, Lifestyle News, explainers & more. Stay updated, Stay informed- Follow DNA on WhatsApp.