The Sri Lanka Disaster Management Center reported on Friday (November 28th) that the continuous heavy rain has triggered severe floods and landslides, resulting in the deaths of 69 people nationwide, with another 34 people reported missing. Authorities have deployed various assets including military ships and helicopters to rescue the affected residents in areas cut off by floods.
According to media reports, the adverse weather conditions brought by Tropical Cyclone “Ditwah” have been impacting the capital city of Colombo and central regions of Sri Lanka with heavy rainfall, causing landslides, rockfalls, and uprooted trees leading to secondary disasters, with some roads being blocked. As the water levels continue to rise in the coastal plains, relevant departments are urging people to stay away from the danger zones near rivers.
The Sri Lanka Disaster Management Center (DMC) stated on Friday that rainfall has been recorded in all regions of the country in the past 24 hours, with some areas receiving up to 360 millimeters of rain. Currently, mudslides and floods have damaged at least 3,000 houses nationwide, over 18,000 people have been relocated to temporary shelters, and nearly 220,000 individuals have been affected.
The extreme weather conditions have also impacted the country’s transportation and communication infrastructure. Several flights scheduled to land at the Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo had to be canceled, with some flights diverted to other locations; the Sri Lanka Railway Department announced the suspension of all railway operations nationwide starting from 6:00 a.m. on the 28th; the Sri Lankan government declared the closure of all government offices and schools on the 28th; in some areas of the central province, the continuous heavy rain and strong winds have damaged fiber optic communication lines, severely affecting telecommunication services.
The latest forecast from the country’s meteorological department indicates that the heavy rainfall is expected to continue in the coming days.