A large havoc has surfaced in Sri Lanka as it is grappling with devastating Cyclone Ditwah, flooding, rain, and landslides. The Cyclone Ditwah has washed away several districts and has claimed at least 456 lives till Tuesday. Sri Lanka’s president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, described it as the “largest and most challenging natural disaster in our history.”
“Over the past few days, relentless heavy rains battered the region, knocking out first the internet, then electricity, and eventually the water supply. Entire villages collapsed under the flooding,” a Sri Lankan resident told FoEJ Media.
“The village where my grandfather lived was swept away, and he, along with several of my relatives, lost their lives in the disaster,” she said.
“I’m terrified of going to bed,” she added.
As per the reports of the Disaster Management Center on Tuesday at 6 pm, the data showed 465 people killed and 366 missing in the cyclone and landslide, which occurred due to extreme weather conditions that have hit Sri Lanka since November 16.
The Disaster Management Center further reports that more than 1.1 million people had been affected by the cyclone, and the country’s emergency and rescue services and the military were deployed to help rescue efforts.
A special weather bulletin issued by the Department of Meteorology, meanwhile, anticipated “enhanced” rainy conditions from Thursday in certain parts of the nation.
“The Northeast monsoon condition is expected to gradually establish over the island during the next few days. Due to this, rainy conditions over the island, particularly in the Northern, North-Central, Eastern, Uva, and Central provinces, are expected to be enhanced from the 4th of December,” it stated.
India Deployed INS Vikrant for Rescue Operations in Sri Lanka
The Indian aircraft carrier INS Vikrant will be deployed in Sri Lanka’s flood-relief operations, officials said on Friday. The indigenously built carrier had docked in Colombo on November 25 and 26 for port calls ahead of the International Fleet Review 2025, scheduled for November 30, according to the Sri Lankan Navy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his “heartfelt condolences” to the people of Sri Lanka
“My heartfelt condolences to the people of Sri Lanka who have lost their loved ones due to Cyclone Ditwah. I pray for the safety, comfort, and swift recovery of all affected families. In solidarity with our closest maritime neighbor, India has urgently dispatched relief materials and vital HADR support under Operation Sagar Bandhu. We stand ready to provide more aid and assistance as the situation evolves,” PM Modi wrote in a post on X.
“Guided by India’s Neighbourhood First policy and Vision MAHASAGAR, India continues to stand firmly with Sri Lanka in its hour of need,” he added.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar shared images of the relief supplies dispatched to Sri Lanka aboard INS Vikrant and INS Udaygiri.
Decades of Cyclone Destruction in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka has faced several devastating cyclones over the decades. The 1978 cyclone struck the island’s eastern coast on November 23 with the strongest winds ever recorded in the region. In December 2000, Cyclone BOB 06 made landfall near Trincomalee, unleashing winds of 105–121 km/h, heavy rainfall, and widespread destruction that left thousands of homes damaged and caused at least nine deaths.
Another severe system in May 2003 intensified to 140 km/h and triggered the worst flooding in 56 years across the southwest, with more than 200 people killed in Ratnapura district due to floods and landslides. More recently, in 2017, Cyclone Ockhi brought intense rain, strong winds, and destructive landslides to the island’s southern regions in late November.
