Sri Lanka pressed on with large-scale rescue and relief operations on Sunday, supported by India, as the death toll from Cyclone Ditwah climbed past 200 amid widespread flooding and landslides.
According to the Disaster Management Centre (DMC), 212 people have been confirmed dead and 218 remain missing since Thursday. Nearly 10 lakh people from over 2.7 lakh families have been affected by the disaster.
India has deployed National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams and Indian Air Force (IAF) assets under Operation Sagar Bandhu to assist Sri Lankan authorities.
“NDRF personnel, in close coordination with local authorities, continue to undertake relief operations in Sri Lanka,” External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on social media.
Eighty NDRF personnel in two urban search-and-rescue teams are on the ground, while IAF helicopters and transport aircraft are conducting high-risk evacuation missions.
In one such mission, a Garud commando was winched down to lead stranded passengers through difficult terrain to a helipad at Kotmale, from where 24 people, including Indians, Sri Lankans, and other foreign nationals were flown to Colombo. Three critically injured individuals were also airlifted for urgent treatment.
The IAF additionally transported 40 Sri Lankan Army personnel to the landslide-hit Kotmale region and has positioned Mi-17 V5 helicopters in Colombo for rapid HADR operations.
Transport aircraft are on standby for large-scale evacuation of Indian nationals, and relief items such as Bhishm cubes and medical supplies are being airlifted.
On Saturday, C-130J and IL-76 aircraft delivered nearly 21 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Colombo. INS Sukanya is en route from Visakhapatnam with more supplies, while two Chetak helicopters aboard INS Vikrant continue to support rescue missions, including the dramatic rescue of a family of four stranded on a rooftop.
Sri Lanka has declared a nationwide state of emergency, granting district secretaries emergency spending powers of up to 50 million Sri Lankan rupees.
Flood alerts remain in place for several eastern suburbs of Colombo, with officials urging residents to evacuate as the Kelani River rises to dangerous levels. Schools in high-risk areas are being used as relief centres for displaced families.
