COLOMBO – Sri Lanka appealed for international assistance on Saturday as the death toll from devastating floods and landslides triggered by Cyclone Ditwah rose to 123, with another 130 people still missing. The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said nearly 15,000 homes were destroyed and almost 44,000 people displaced to state-run temporary shelters.
Read More: Cyclone Ditwah kills 46 in Sri Lanka, dozens missing
DMC Director-General Sampath Kotuwegoda said thousands of troops from the army, navy and air force had been deployed to intensify ongoing rescue and relief efforts. “We have 123 confirmed dead and another 130 missing,” he told reporters, adding that emergency operations were continuing across the island.
Extreme Weather Update
Death toll from Cyclone Ditwah-related floods & landslides rises to 123.
130 missing
373,000+ affected
43,000+ displaced
123 deathsPray For Sri Lanka #SriLankaFloods #CycloneDitwah #LKA pic.twitter.com/ZbB4uFAZWf
— Sri Lanka Tweet (@SriLankaTweet) November 29, 2025
Although Cyclone Ditwah moved northward toward India on Saturday, its impact left widespread destruction in Sri Lanka. Fresh landslides struck Kandy district, blocking major access roads and cutting off vulnerable communities. Several fibre optic cables also snapped, leaving remote regions without mobile connectivity after base stations were submerged.
CYCLONE DITWAH LEAVES 123 DEAD IN SRI LANKA
Sri Lanka is reeling after Cyclone Ditwah triggered deadly floods and mudslides across the country. Authorities confirmed on Saturday that 123 people have died, while 130 remain missing.
Nearly 44,000 people have been forced into… pic.twitter.com/2xLEW3ku4s
— The Content Factory (@tcf_updates) November 29, 2025
A special unit has been deployed to restore communication networks, while many areas remain unreachable due to mudslides in the island’s central tea-growing hills. Authorities also ordered evacuations along the Kelani River after it burst its banks on Friday, flooding low-lying neighbourhoods and forcing hundreds into shelters.
Sri Lanka has made an appeal for international assistance as the death toll from heavy rains and floods triggered by Cyclone Ditwah rose to 123, with another 130 reported missing https://t.co/T0ERJfc2r3 pic.twitter.com/czIE8tZngQ
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) November 29, 2025
The government has requested international aid and urged Sri Lankans living abroad to donate funds to support nearly half a million people affected. Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya met Colombo-based diplomats to brief them on the crisis and seek assistance from their governments.
President @anuradisanayake declares a “state of emergency” to deal with the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, as the death toll reaches 123 and is expected to rise, with a further 130 people listed as missing. The emergency allows AKD to promulgate regulations to address the crisis. pic.twitter.com/aYN06bgSy1
— Ranga Sirilal (@rangaba) November 29, 2025
India became the first responder, sending two aircraft with relief supplies, while an Indian naval ship in Colombo donated its onboard rations. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences and pledged further help as needed.
Read More: Cyclone looms near as deep depression forms in Arabian Sea
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also offered Pakistan’s support, saying Islamabad was ready to assist in rescue, recovery and relief efforts. Officials warned that flood levels could surpass those of 2016, when 71 people died, making this one of the country’s deadliest weather disasters in recent years.