Rescuers in Sri Lanka were scrambling on Monday to clear roads and deliver aid to more than half a million people hit by a cyclone last week, as the death toll climbed to 355, with 366 missing, official figures showed.
Cyclone Ditwah, packing strong winds and heavy rains, brought the island nation's worst floods in a decade when it struck on Friday, setting off landslides in the hilly central region.
People salvaged belongings from flooded homes along the banks of the Kelani river near Colombo, the capital, Reuters visuals showed.
Officials said train and flight services resumed after being were disrupted last week, although schools stayed closed.
Nearly 200,000 people have been moved to nearly 1,275 relief centres, mostly set up in schools, the Disaster Management Centre said.
Thousands of police, navy personnel and army troops are distributing food, clearing roads and moving trapped families to safety.
Those who have found refuge in relief centres include Mallika Kumari, whose home was quickly submerged up to the roof on Friday. She bundled her three children into a rented lorry with her husband and spent the night by the roadside.
Kumari and her 554 neighbours live alongside the Kelani River in Malwana, 20 km (12 miles) from Colombo, and face the worst flooding in a decade.
Rescue boats are transporting stranded families, including Kumari, who hoped to collect her children's clothes and school books from her home.
"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 rush, Kumari left behind her cat, which was later picked up by a navy boat and brought to dry land.
The flooding in Malwana and other low-lying areas near Colombo has left most homes under water and without power, authorities said.
Meteorological authorities have forecast continued rains over the weekend, raising fears of further flooding in already waterlogged regions.
Some residents opted to remain in the upper floors of partially submerged homes, protecting their belongings.
Local businesses, including pharmacies, supermarkets and fabric shops are inundated, heightening concerns over financial losses as shop owners worry about long-term recovery.
At the Dalugala Thakiya Mosque, volunteers prepared rice parcels with chicken and dhal curry for flood victims, aiming 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."
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Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, according to the latest data, as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening kept most shipowners away. Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, down from nine the day before and below the 10-day daily average of 11.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 19th of August, covering the latest developments.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Australia on Thursday condemned Israel’s decision to close its criminal investigation into the deaths of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and six World Central Kitchen colleagues killed in Gaza in April 2024.
North Korea has fired more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles after U.S. President Donald Trump reduced American participation in joint military exercises with South Korea in an effort to revive dialogue with Pyongyang.
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