Sri Lanka seeks foreign help as Cyclone Ditwah death toll reaches 123

Some 44,000 radical displaced by flooding crossed the state arsenic alleviation operations intensify amid wide destruction.

Sri Lanka has made an entreaty for planetary assistance arsenic the decease toll from dense rains and floods triggered by Cyclone Ditwah roseate to 123, with different 130 reported missing.

The extreme weather strategy has destroyed astir 15,000 homes crossed the country, sending astir 44,000 radical to state-run impermanent shelters, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said connected Saturday.

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Although Cyclone Ditwah was heading towards neighbouring India to the northbound connected Saturday, much landslides person deed the cardinal territory of Kandy, 115km (70 miles) eastbound of the superior Colombo, with the main entree roadworthy nether h2o astatine respective locations.

DMC Director-General Sampath Kotuwegoda said alleviation operations had been strengthened with the deployment of thousands of members of the army, navy and aerial unit arsenic helium announced the latest casualty figures.

“Relief operations with the assistance of the equipped forces are nether way,” Kotuwegoda told reporters successful Colombo.

Mahesh Gunasekara, the secretary-general of the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society, said galore radical person been stranded successful assorted flood-hit areas arsenic rescue crews are trying to scope them.

“Relief needs person been increasing. After 2 days, h2o has inactive been swelling,” helium said.

“Although the cyclone is dilatory moving distant from the country, it is not implicit for america yet,” Gunasekara added.

Flooding prompted authorities to contented evacuation orders for those surviving on the banks of the Kelani River, which flows into the Indian Ocean from Colombo.

The Kelani burst its banks connected Friday evening, forcing hundreds of radical into impermanent shelters, the DMC said.

The authorities issued an entreaty for planetary assistance and asked Sri Lankans overseas to marque currency donations to enactment astir fractional a cardinal affected people.

Officials said Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya had met with Colombo-based diplomats to update them connected the concern and question the assistance of their governments.

India was the archetypal to respond, sending 2 planeloads of alleviation supplies, portion an Indian warship already successful Colombo connected a antecedently planned goodwill sojourn donated its rations to assistance victims.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences implicit the deaths successful Sri Lanka and said New Delhi was acceptable to nonstop much aid.

“We basal acceptable to supply much assistance and assistance arsenic the concern evolves,” Modi said connected X.

While rainfall had eased successful astir parts of Sri Lanka connected Saturday, including the capital, parts of the island’s northbound were inactive experiencing showers owed to the residual effects of Cyclone Ditwah.

DMC officials said they expected flood levels to transcend those recorded successful 2016, erstwhile 71 radical were killed nationwide.

This week’s weather-related toll is the highest since June past year, erstwhile 26 radical were killed pursuing dense rains.

In December, 17 radical died successful flooding and landslides.