COLOMBO: The death toll from floods and landslides caused by Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka has risen sharply to 334, with nearly 400 people still missing, authorities said on Sunday. The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) described it as the worst natural disaster to hit the island in two decades, affecting over 1.3 million people nationwide.
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President Anura Kumara Dissanayake declared a state of emergency to tackle the crisis and pledged to rebuild the nation with international support. “We are facing the largest and most challenging natural disaster in our history.
Certainly, we will build a better nation than what existed before,” he said. Officials warned that the full extent of damage in the central region was only emerging as relief teams cleared blocked roads.
Extreme Weather Update !
Death toll from Cyclone Ditwah-related floods & landslides rises to 334.370 missing
1,118,000+ affected
196,000+ displaced
334 deathsPray For Sri Lanka #SriLankaFloods #CycloneDitwah #LKA pic.twitter.com/cuqGZLB2Nf
— Sri Lanka Tweet (@SriLankaTweet) December 1, 2025
While the heavy rains have subsided, low-lying areas of Colombo remain flooded. Authorities are preparing for a major relief operation as air and ground rescue efforts continue. A Bell 212 helicopter carrying food for stranded patients crashed into a river near Colombo, with all five crew members safely taken to a nearby hospital.
Rescue operations by Indian and Sri Lankan forces saved dozens of people, including infants, a pregnant woman, and a man in a wheelchair from submerged hospitals and towns. Central towns such as Kotmale and northern areas including Chilaw have experienced severe flooding, highlighting the widespread impact of the cyclone.
CYCLONE DITWAH JUST DEVASTATED SRI LANKA – DEATH TOLL SPIKES TO 153 AS FLOODS SWALLOW HALF A MILLION
Torrential rains from the monster storm – packing 300mm dumps in hours – triggered killer landslides that wiped out entire tea estates in the central highlands, burying… pic.twitter.com/cb9FEXL8mu
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) November 30, 2025
Residents described the devastation firsthand. Selvi, 46, from Colombo suburb Wennawatte, said, “My house is completely flooded. I don’t know where to go, but I hope there is some safe shelter where I can take my family.” In Manampitiya, 250 kilometres northeast of Colombo, receding waters revealed the full scale of destruction, with locals calling it unprecedented.
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Authorities are urging citizens to remain vigilant as Cyclone Ditwah moves north towards India. Relief efforts are being coordinated to provide food, shelter, and medical aid while assessments continue on infrastructure damage and long-term recovery needs.