Sri Lanka declares emergency as death toll rises to 330
Cyclone Ditwah has left nearly a third of the South Asian island nation without electricity or running water
Sri Lanka has declared a state of emergency in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, which has claimed at least 330 lives due to heavy flooding and landslides.
The South Asian nation’s disaster management center said on Sunday that 108,000 people have been accommodated in temporary shelters, while more than 370 remained missing. It estimated that 20,000 homes have been destroyed and more than 196,000 people have been displaced in what has been the worst weather-related disaster in years.
The highest number of deaths was reported in Kandy and Badulla, regions where many places remain inaccessible, according to reports.
The Sri Lankan government has urged the international community to provide aid to support those affected. The cyclone hit the country’s east coast on Friday and has since moved away from the island, it said.
Relief and rescue operations in Sri Lanka have been hampered by power cuts, landslides, and blocked roads.
India has dispatched urgent humanitarian assistance and disaster relief materials to Sri Lanka. An IAF aircraft provided 10 tons of disaster response supplies and a medical team is working on the island.
India’s National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is coordinating with Sri Lankan authorities and aiding in relief and rescue operations, Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar has said.
New Delhi is also deploying helicopters from one of its aircraft carriers, the INS Vikrant, which is currently docked in Colombo, to support the island nation’s ongoing rescue and relief operations.
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