The death toll from flooding and landslides triggered by Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka has risen to 123, the country’s disaster management authorities announced on Saturday. Rescue teams continue to search for around 130 people still missing, while the scale of devastation widens.
The catastrophic flooding and mudslides have displaced tens of thousands of residents. Authorities report that nearly 44,000 people have been relocated to emergency shelters after entire communities were submerged or destroyed.
What went wrong — floods, landslides and overwhelmed terrain
The disaster began when Cyclone Ditwah brought torrential rains across the island’s mountainous central region and low-lying coastal zones. Rivers and reservoirs overflowed, while steep slopes in the tea-growing hill country gave way — triggering sudden landslides that buried homes and infrastructure.
Many roads and railway lines have been blocked by mud, fallen trees and debris. In some remote areas, floodwaters and landslide damage have cut off access, preventing relief teams from reaching survivors. In one report, authorities said fibre-optic cables for communications were severed, complicating coordination of rescue efforts.
Schools, offices and public transport services have been shut down indefinitely across large parts of the country, as the government declared a nationwide emergency and mobilised troops and disaster-response teams to assist with evacuations and relief deliveries.
Human cost — lives lost, homes destroyed, communities uprooted
The rising death toll underscores the sheer scale of the calamity: entire neighbourhoods have been wiped out, houses destroyed, livelihoods lost. Reports indicate that thousands of homes have been damaged or destroyed.
Families have been forced into temporary shelters, many with minimal belongings — while others remain unaccounted for. Many of the missing are believed to be buried under mud from landslides or trapped in flooded houses in remote, hard-to-reach areas.
For those displaced, the trauma is profound. Communities that for generations have lived high on the island’s hills or in valley villages have seen their homes swept away — leaving nothing but uncertainty about when, or if, they’ll be able to return.
Government response and call for international help
In the aftermath of the disaster, Sri Lanka’s government issued an urgent appeal for foreign assistance. International partners — including neighbouring countries — are being asked to provide humanitarian aid, emergency relief supplies, and technical support for search and rescue operations.
The armed forces, disaster-relief agencies, and volunteers have been deployed across flood- and landslide-hit regions. Efforts focus on evacuating stranded residents, delivering food and water, clearing blocked roads, and re-establishing basic services such as electricity and communications.
Meanwhile, temporary shelters continue to accommodate displaced families. But with heavy rains still forecast, and many areas inaccessible, authorities warn the death toll may climb further.
What’s next — recovery, rebuilding and disaster-preparedness
The scale of devastation in Sri Lanka raises urgent questions about infrastructure resilience, land-use planning, early warning systems, and long-term climate adaptation — especially as extreme weather events become more frequent.
Key challenges ahead:
- Restoring basic services — Many communities remain cut off without electricity, clean water, or access roads.
- Housing and relocation — With thousands of homes destroyed, authorities must decide between rebuilding on-site or relocating communities away from landslide-prone zones.
- Support for displaced people — Immediate shelter, food, medical aid — AND long-term assistance for lost livelihoods, education disruptions, and mental-health trauma.
- Disaster prevention and planning — Strengthening early-warning systems, enforcing building codes on slopes, and improving drainage and flood-management across vulnerable zones.
For now, as rescue efforts continue and grief runs deep, Sri Lanka — and the international community — faces the difficult task of not just responding to this catastrophe, but preparing to prevent future ones.
