The Sri Lankan government deployed police and military personnel to aid rescue and search efforts as strong rain and damaging winds crossed Sri Lanka on Friday, with the death toll having risen to 69 by the evening.
Officials say that the toll could rise even higher, as the country still expects more flooding from the cyclone Ditwah in the next 12 hours.
The cyclone made landfall on Sri Lanka’s eastern coast on Friday morning.
Most deaths so far were caused by landslides triggered by more than 12 inches (30 centimeters) of rainfall in the eastern and central regions, according to officials.
Some 44,000 people were affected nationwide, with many thousands having sought shelter in schools and public shelters, according to the Disaster Management Center.
Most rivers and reservoirs have overflowed because of heavy rains, with at least 3,000 homes damaged in mudslides and floods.
Flag carrier, SriLankan Airlines said Friday evening they were monitoring the weather situation given widespread delays.
India launches relief effort, prepares for heavy rains
Neighboring India launched relief operations to aid Sri Lanka and delivered 6.5 metric tons of food, the Indian High Commission in Colombo said.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also conveyed his condolences earlier this morning, posting ton X that, “We stand ready to provide more aid and assistance as the situation evolves.”
According to Sri Lankan officials, the current flooding levels are on track to be the worst since 2016. That year, torrential rains killed over 100 people and displaced hundreds of thousands in the island nation of over 23 million.
The cyclone is headed to the southern tip of India, where the Indian Meteorological Department has sent out red alerts for coastal areas of some of the states in the southern part of the country that are set to expect very heavy rainfall.
Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko
