SAEDNEWS: The death toll from heavy floods and mudslides caused by Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka rose to 123, with 130 people still missing, authorities said Saturday.
Nearly 44,000 people have been displaced and are now in temporary shelters, Sri Lanka’s disaster management center reported, according to AP.
The death toll is expected to rise, as social media posts on Saturday showed several areas affected by overnight mudslides that authorities have yet to reach.
Sri Lanka has been battered by severe weather since last week. Conditions worsened Thursday, with heavy downpours flooding homes, fields, and roads, and triggering landslides mainly in the tea-growing central hill country.
The government responded by closing schools and offices and postponing examinations.
Most reservoirs and rivers have overflowed, blocking roads. Authorities halted passenger trains and closed roads across the country after rocks, mud, and trees fell on roadways and railway tracks.
By Friday, water flowing downstream from the hardest-hit areas began to inundate parts of the capital, Colombo, which had experienced comparatively lighter rainfall.
Officials warn that Cyclone Ditwah, which formed in the seas east of Sri Lanka, is likely to move toward India’s southern coast by Sunday. Sri Lanka is expected to see rain on Saturday, with the storm passing over northern regions.
Neighboring India has sent two search-and-rescue teams comprising 80 personnel, along with aid to support ongoing operations, the Indian embassy in Colombo confirmed on Saturday.
