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."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that more than 8,000 North Korean troops are currently in Russia, with preparations under wa...
Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are warning that gaps in contact tracing and continued deaths outside treatment centre...
Hurricane Polo closed in on Mexico's Baja California Sur on Monday evening, threatening its Pacific coastline ...
Iran has called for a diplomatic solution after U.S. President Donald Trump rejected its Hormuz proposal, while Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran was awaiting a definitive U.S. response through mediators.
A Russian guided aerial bomb has struck an apartment building in Kharkiv, injuring 22 people, including children, according to the city’s mayor. The strike follows a day of near-continuous Russian attacks across Ukraine that killed at least five people.
British police have arrested five men on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act after a major security incident was declared near RAF Fairford, a British air base used by U.S. air forces in Gloucestershire, England.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 28 September 2026. These are the top stories making headlines in technology.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan has arrived in Washington for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on bilateral ties and key regional and international developments, Saudi state news agency SPA reported.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that more than 8,000 North Korean troops are currently in Russia, with preparations under way to send another 10,000.
Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are warning that gaps in contact tracing and continued deaths outside treatment centres are contributing to a renewed rise in Ebola transmission, as the country’s latest outbreak passes 8,000 confirmed cases.
Hurricane Polo closed in on Mexico's Baja California Sur on Monday evening, threatening its Pacific coastline with destructive wind, flash floods and a storm surge before crossing the peninsula and making a second landfall on the mainland.
The European Union's decision to simultaneously advance accession talks with Ukraine, Moldova, Montenegro and Albania marks its most ambitious enlargement effort in more than two decades.
Taxpayer-funded television advertisements featuring U.S. President Donald Trump are drawing criticism from Republicans and Democrats while legal experts question whether public money can be used for spots resembling campaign messaging ahead of the midterm elections.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment