Rescuers in Sri Lanka are racing against rising floodwaters and treacherous terrain today after a powerful storm system slammed into the island nation, killing at least 46 people and displacing tens of thousands in a disaster that threatens to strain the country’s resources.
Official figures confirmed that Cyclone Ditwah has already left 23 people missing, with the Department of Meteorology issuing severe warnings that the storm could intensify as it tracks across the territory over the next 12 hours.
Most fatalities were attributed to landslides triggered by torrential rainfall exceeding 300 mm (11.8 inches) within a single 24-hour period. The deluge has lashed the island nation, with the eastern and central hill country—regions famed for their tea plantations and steep topography—being the most severely affected.
A Nation Under Water
Nationwide, 43,991 people have been evacuated to schools and other public shelters, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said in a statement. In several low-lying districts, military personnel were deployed to rescue families stranded on rooftops as rivers burst their banks.
In Kelaniya, a suburb of the commercial capital Colombo, streets have turned into fast-flowing canals. Images from the ground show residents wading through waist-deep water and houses partially submerged, bringing daily life to a standstill.
Schools remained closed, train services were suspended, and the Colombo Stock Exchange announced an early trading halt as heavy rains persisted.
"We are continuing rescue operations in the worst-hit areas, but some villages are difficult to reach because roads are blocked by landslides... we are doing our best to get everyone to safety," Brigadier S. Dharmawickrema, Emergency Operations Director at the DMC, told Reuters.
Regional Impact and Economic Strain
The timing of the disaster is particularly difficult for Sri Lanka, which is still navigating a fragile path to stability following the historic economic collapse of 2022. While the island has seen a return to growth, a natural disaster of this magnitude poses a significant fiscal challenge regarding reconstruction and aid distribution.
The storm’s impact has also spilled over into international travel. Sri Lanka may divert flights from its main airport to Trivandrum or Cochin airports in southern India if conditions worsen, Ports and Civil Aviation Minister Anura Karunathilake told reporters.
Local media reported that six flights, including arrivals from Muscat, Dubai, New Delhi, and Bangkok, had already been redirected from Colombo's Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA).
The Climate Factor
Sri Lanka is accustomed to heavy seasonal rains during the Northeast Monsoon, which typically affects the island from October to January. However, meteorologists have noted that cyclonic storms in the Bay of Bengal are becoming increasingly erratic and intense, a trend often attributed by climate scientists to warming sea surface temperatures in the Indian Ocean.
Authorities have urged citizens in landslide-prone areas to remain vigilant, as the saturation of soil in the central highlands remains a critical danger even if rainfall subsides.
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