Sri Lanka Floods And Landslides Claim 132 Lives, 176 Still Missing

COLOMBO, Nov 29 (Bernama-dpa) -- Cyclone Ditwah, which swept across parts of Sri Lanka with heavy rain, floods and landslides, left the country on Saturday as the death toll rose to 132 and another 176 people remained missing, emergency officials said, reported German Press Agency (dpa).

The central districts of Kandy and Badulla were the hardest hit, though the entire island has been lashed by intense rainfall for three consecutive days.

The cyclone moved on towards southern India on Saturday morning.

Search and rescue operations were continuing for missing persons in mainly landslide-affected locations, disaster management officials said.

Railway tracks, roads, electricity lines and telecommunication towers were damaged, causing severe disruptions to daily life.

Operations of flights to and from Sri Lanka were also disrupted, with some inbound aircraft being diverted to airports in India.

The destruction comes as the country gradually recovers from a major economic crisis in 2022 that forced it to declare bankruptcy and seek assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). 

-- BERNAMA-dpa