Sri Lanka floods kill 56 as Cyclone Ditwah nears Trincomalee

At least 56 people have died, and 21 remain missing in Sri Lanka due to floods and landslides, with the government announcing a public holiday on Friday (November 28) barring those who are involved in the essential services, as Cyclone Ditwah appears to be heading towards Tamil Nadu.

At least 46 deaths have been recorded within the past 72 hours as adverse weather conditions continue to affect the island, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said.

Disaster management officials said that 43,991 people from 12,313 families have been affected by the extreme weather conditions.

Ditwah located near Sri Lanka’s Trincomalee

Meanwhile, Cyclone Ditwah is located near Sri Lanka’s eastern district of Trincomalee, the meteorology department announced on Friday morning.

Ditwah was centred about 50 km south of Trincomalee and was seen to be moving north and northwestwards.

Also Read: Cyclone Ditwah: Heavy rain likely in TN, Andhra till November 30

Heavy showers, thunderstorms and strong winds will continue island-wide, with very heavy rainfall above 200 mm expected in several provinces, and up to 150 mm in areas, including Trincomalee in the east, Badulla in central Galle and Matara in the southern province, the weather bureau said. Winds of 60-70 kmph, gusting up to 80-90 kmph, are likely across much of the country.

Flights diverted

SriLankan Airlines said several inbound planes had been diverted to Kochi and Trivandrum in India and the Mattala airport in the southern province.

Also Read: Cyclone Ditwah nearing Tamil Nadu coast as rare Senyar heads to Malaysia

The government is considering making an international appeal for help at a meeting to be convened by Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya later in the day, sources said. The railway department said all services have been suspended until further notice from 6 am today.

In the central province town of Gampola, the railway station was completely submerged with several carriages trapped underwater, officials said.

India agrees deploy helicopters

Meanwhile, India has agreed to deploy helicopters from INS Vikrant, docked in Colombo, after Sri Lankan authorities requested assistance for rescue and relief operations as Cyclone Ditwah intensifies flooding across the island, reported The Hindu.

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The Department of Meteorology and the Disaster Management Centre reported that 20 of Sri Lanka’s 25 districts are severely affected, with more than 12,000 families and 43,000 people impacted under a nationwide “red alert.”

The report further stated that the harshest effects are reported along the east coast, including Ampara, Batticaloa, and Trincomalee. Conditions are also worsening in the Central Province, covering Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, and Matale, as well as Uva Province’s Badulla district.

(With agency inputs)