Cyclone Ditwah: Sri Lanka death toll crosses over 200 as India ramps up rescue aid

People gather at an area affected by floods, following heavy rainfall in Malwana, Sri Lanka, November 29, 2025. (REUTERS)

Cyclone Ditwah has unleashed widespread devastation across Sri Lanka, flattening homes, inundating towns and tearing through hilly districts before moving back into the Bay of Bengal and tracking toward India’s southern coastline.

The storm, one of the most severe weather events to hit Sri Lanka in recent years, intensified rainfall across the island for days, triggering flash floods and massive landslides. Central hill regions and the eastern coast were the worst hit, with several communities cut off as roads collapsed and slopes crumbled under relentless rain.

Sri Lanka death toll crosses 200

Sri Lanka continued relief and rescue operations on Sunday with India’s assistance after the catastrophic flooding and landslides caused by the cyclone.

According to updated figures by Sri Lanka’s Disaster Management Centre (DMC), 212 people have died and 218 remain missing since the weather system struck the island on Thursday. Officials warned the numbers could rise as teams reach isolated regions in central and eastern districts.

The cyclone has affected 9,98,918 people from 2,73,606 families across the country, the DMC said.

Meanwhile, personnel from India’s National Disaster Response Force, along with the Indian Air Force, continue to assist Sri Lankan authorities under Operation Sagar Bandhu, launched by New Delhi to support Colombo during the crisis.

India deployed two urban search and rescue teams comprising 80 NDRF personnel to the island nation. In a high-risk mission, IAF helicopters carried out a hybrid rescue operation to extract stranded passengers, including Indian nationals, from a restricted zone.

Two IAF transport aircraft — a C-130J and an IL-76 — delivered nearly 21 tonnes of relief material in Colombo on Saturday as part of India’s humanitarian assistance. INS Sukanya, carrying additional supplies, has also departed from Visakhapatnam and is expected to reach Sri Lanka shortly.

With a state of emergency in place, Sri Lanka has authorised district secretaries to spend up to 50 million Sri Lankan rupees for immediate relief work.

Flood alerts have been issued for several eastern suburbs of Colombo after the Kelani River crossed dangerous levels. Schools in vulnerable areas are being converted into relief centres for displaced residents. The Indian High Commission in Colombo is also assisting stranded Indian passengers amid severe travel disruptions.

Tamil Nadu braces for heavy rainfall

Back in India, incessant rain continues to lash parts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, with three deaths reported in rain-related incidents linked to the cyclone.

According to the India Meteorological Department, the storm is expected to move parallel to the northern coastline of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry over the next 24 hours. As of Sunday, the system was located around 100 km east-southeast of Cuddalore and 180 km south-southeast of Chennai.

Normal life remained disrupted in Rameswaram and Nagapattinam, where heavy rain has inundated several low-lying neighbourhoods.

The IMD has warned of heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in multiple districts, including Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Villupuram, Chengalpattu, Chennai, Tiruvallur, Thanjavur, Tiruchirappalli, Kancheepuram, Ranipet and Puducherry-Karaikal over the next day.

Residents have been advised to stay indoors, avoid coastal belts and follow instructions issued by district administrations. Fishermen have been warned not to venture into the sea.

Tamil Nadu has deployed 38 disaster response teams, including SDRF and NDRF units, while 10 additional teams from other states joined relief efforts on Saturday, State Revenue and Disaster Management Minister R Ramachandran said, as reported by PTI.