Cyclone Ditwah: Death toll in Sri Lanka climbs to 123, rescue efforts intensify

Sri Lanka remains gripped by the harrowing aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, as the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) on Saturday confirmed that the death toll has risen to a tragic 123, with local media painting a picture of a nation battered by nature’s fury.

The human cost continues to deepen: 130 people are still missing, their families clinging to hope as rescue teams push through treacherous terrain. The Kandy District, now the sombre heart of the tragedy, has reported 51 deaths and 67 missing, while Badulla follows with 35 lives lost and 27 unaccounted for. Kegalle, Matale, Nuwara Eliya, and Ampara too have been scarred by the cyclone’s rampage, each district tallying its own burden of grief.

Cyclone Ditwah’s wrath has touched lives on an immense scale — 3.7 lakh people from over one lakh families have been impacted by floods, landslides, and unrelenting winds that have torn through the island, leaving communities shattered and landscapes transformed.

Authorities have sounded urgent warnings for residents along the Maha Oya valley, cautioning that the looming flood threat may be of a magnitude unseen in recent memory. Amid this chaos, stories of survival emerge: at least 40 people, including a foreign national, were dramatically rescued after a bus was swept off the Kala Oya Bridge on the Anuradhapura–Puttalam road. Rising waters forced passengers to scramble onto the roof of a nearby home, where they waited through the perilous night as rescue efforts were delayed by dangerously high currents.

Amid the sorrow, a glimmer of solidarity shines. India has dispatched 27 tonnes of relief material under Operation Sagar Bandhu, with external affairs minister S. Jaishankar assuring that more assistance is en route. Two NDRF teams — 80 personnel strong — have already touched down in Sri Lanka, ready to join hands with local forces battling against time and the elements.

In a moment of profound crisis, compassion flows across borders, and hope endures against the storm’s dark shadow.

With IANS inputs