Sri Lanka is facing its deadliest natural disaster in years, with floods submerging entire areas of the capital, Colombo, in the wake of Cyclone Ditwah. The catastrophe has claimed at least 193 lives, with 228 people still missing, as heavy rains and mudslides ravage the island. The full scale of the damage in the central regions became clearer on Sunday as relief workers cleared blocked roads.
The flooding in northern Colombo was driven by the rapidly rising Kelani River, with a DMC official noting that heavy rains upstream continued to threaten low-lying areas even after the cyclone's passing. The human toll was evident in stories like that of Selvi, 46, who fled her flooded home in the suburb of Wennawatte with her family's belongings, expressing hope for finding safe shelter. Meanwhile, in Manampitiya, receding waters revealed massive destruction, with lifelong resident S Sivanandan stating he had "never seen such a volume of water," describing extensive property damage and an overturned car.
With the National Building Research Organisation warning of high landslide risk due to saturated slopes, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake declared a state of emergency and appealed for international aid. India led the response with relief supplies and helicopters, while Pakistan and Japan also pledged support. The cyclone has destroyed over 25,000 homes, forced 147,000 people into shelters, and displaced a further 968,000, prompting a massive relief effort involving the military and volunteers. This disaster, exacerbated by climate-driven storm patterns, is the country's deadliest since 2017, with the century's worst flooding having occurred in 2003.
________________________________________________________________________
Source: The Guardian
