Khaberni - Sri Lankan authorities continue to fight the rise in floodwaters in parts of the capital Colombo today, Sunday, after the powerful "Ditowa" hurricane caused significant damage and led to the death of at least 159 people across the country.
The Disaster Management Center said that the northern part of Colombo is facing significant flooding, with water levels continuing to rise in the Kelani River.
It added that the death toll had reached 159 people, with 203 others missing, after a week of heavy rains caused by the "Ditowa" hurricane, which moved away from Sri Lanka on Saturday.
An official at the Disaster Management Center said, "Although the hurricane has left us, the heavy upstream rains are now flooding low-lying areas along the banks of the Kelani River."
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake declared a state of emergency on Saturday to deal with the effects of the hurricane, and called on the international community to provide aid.
India was the first to respond, sending relief supplies and two helicopters with a crew to carry out rescue missions, while Japan said it would send a team to assess immediate needs and pledged more assistance.
The Disaster Management Center said many roads in the most affected central province remained cut off, despite the retreat of rains across the island.
The extreme weather destroyed more than 20,000 homes and sent 122,000 people to temporary shelters managed by the state, while another 833,000 people needed government help after being displaced by the floods.
Army, Navy, and Air Force units were deployed alongside civilian workers and volunteers to assist in relief efforts.
Officials reported that about a third of the country was still without electricity or water due to collapsed power lines and desalination facilities, and internet communications were disrupted.
The "Ditowa" hurricane is the deadliest natural disaster in Sri Lanka since 2017, when floods and landslides killed more than 200 people and displaced hundreds of thousands.
