Cyclone Ditwah continues to hammer Sri Lanka with relentless rain, landslides and rising floodwaters, pushing the death toll to 56, with 21 people still missing and nearly 44,000 people affected across multiple districts. Several areas remain submerged, and water levels in several reservoirs and Rivers escalate.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has directed officials to carry out rescue and relief work without delay, releasing 1.2 billion rupees in immediate funding and setting aside 30 billion rupees under the 2025 Budget for emergency response. A new circular has been issued to bypass administrative delays, while a dedicated coordination unit and ten emergency hotlines have been activated at Defence Headquarters.
Meanwhile, heavy rainfall continues to disrupt transport, with major roads in Colombo flooded and sections of the Southern Expressway restricted. Multiple flights, including SriLankan Airlines services, have been diverted to Trivandrum, Cochin and Mattala due to poor visibility.
