Authorities in Sri Lanka are racing against time to rescue hundreds of missing people as death toll from rain and flooding caused by Cyclone Ditwah rose to 366 in one of the worst disasters the island has ever witnessed.
Satellite images captured by Planet Labs revealed the vast trail of devastation as the Kelani River spilled its banks, submerging the low-lying basins around it. The images from 30 November showed Sri Lanka’s fourth-largest river swollen far beyond its usual course, with floodwaters engulfing nearly the entire catchment area, mostly in the northern parts.
More than one million people were impacted by heavy rains and floods that swept through large parts of the island nation on the Indian Ocean, forcing nearly 218,000 people into 1,275 shelters, the Disaster Management Centre said.
Sri Lankan president Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Monday said the economically battered island was facing the “largest and most challenging natural disaster in our history”, far exceeding the damages caused by the devastating 2004 tsunami.
"With the nation affected from end to end, this is a highly challenging exercise that needs to be conquered," Mr Dissanayake said, requesting international aid efforts. "The estimated scale of destruction is severe".
Three cyclones tore through South and Southeast Asia this week leaving at least 1,200 people dead, hundreds missing and millions displaced, with most number of deaths recorded in Sri Lanka and Indonesia.
Flooding and landslide related deaths were reported in more than half of the country's 25 districts, prompting the Sri Lankan government to deploy military to rescue people.
Over 24,000 police, army and air force personnel, aided by aircraft sent by the Indian government, are still trying to reach families stranded by floods with additional 367 people still missing, the authorities said.
More than 120 people were airlifted to safety in helicopters by the air force after water breached the dam of the Mavil Aru Reservoir in the eastern part of the island. About another 2,000 people were moved to higher ground for safety, the military said in a statement.
Dozens of families were trapped in their homes by flood waters in the commercial capital of Colombo, which is one of the worst affected places.
Sri Lanka's irrigation department on Tuesday said the water level of the Kelani River was receding, but warned residents living in lower catchment areas to remain extremely vigilant and adhere strictly to the safety and evacuation directives.
The department added that the flood situation that affected the low-lying areas of the Kelani River basin was also decreasing, Ada Derana reporterd. The flood situation is expected to improve later this week as the cyclone moves north to batter India.
Siriyalatha Adhikari, 74, said she had lost everything in the cyclone. “We didn’t have time to remove anything from the house. Everything happened so fast. Our whole house was under water, we didn’t think it would flood so quickly,” the resident of Biyagama in western Sri Lanka, told The Guardian.
The cyclone has dealt a heavy blow to Sri Lanka, still reeling from the 2022 economic crisis that left its entire population scrambling for basic food and medicine. With the island’s recovery hinging on Western tourism, the storm’s damage is expected to further threaten an already fragile industry.
In the Colombo suburb of Kelaniya, as in many other parts of the country, cooked food is supplied by state agencies and through donations but many told Reuters they are yet to receive adequate help. More than 17,000 people are living in shelters waiting for the flood waters retreat from their homes.
"My sister and I were trapped on the upper floor of our home with our four children for two days. We slowly ran out of food. We only had biscuits and water to give them last night," Sunethra Priyadarshani, 37, told Reuters.
The family was rescued by a boat that delivered lunch to them. "We only have the clothes we were wearing. We will go stay at an aunt's house for now. But we really need help".
In Indonesia, president Prabowo Subianto on Monday pledged to rebuild infrastructure while visiting areas impacted by floods and landslides on Sumatra island that left thousands homeless and 474 people missing.
Flooding displaced 290,700 people in North Sumatra, West Sumatra and Aceh provinces, the National Disaster Management Agency said.
"We need to confront climate change effectively," Mr Prabowo told reporters. "Local governments must take a significant role in safeguarding the environment and preparing for the extreme weather conditions that will arise from future climate change."
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