‘Neighbourhoods buried under mud’: Sri Lanka floods death toll rises to 159

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake declares a state of emergency to deal with the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah.

At least 159 people have been confirmed dead across Sri Lanka as authorities continue to battle rising floodwaters in parts of the capital after a powerful cyclone left a trail of destruction.

More heavy rains brought on by Cyclone Ditwah are expected across the island nation in the coming days, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said on Sunday, adding that more than 200 people remain missing.

Sri Lanka’s Daily Mirror publication reported on Sunday that among those missing were five Navy personnel who were last seen trying to cut off overflowing water at a Naval sub-station in Chalai Lagoon, northeast of the country.

The extreme weather system has destroyed nearly 15,000 homes across the country, sending almost 44,000 people to state-run temporary shelters, according to the DMC.

Al Jazeera’s Minelle Fernandez, reporting from Sammanthurai in east central Sri Lanka, said the country is struggling to cope with the aftermath of the cyclone.

“Some neighbourhoods are completely buried under mud, and each one brings more despair,” she said. “Communication has also broken down, and there are some areas that have yet to send updates.”

In other areas, newly planted rice was submerged in water due to relentless rain, Fernandez added.

The northern part of Colombo was also facing a major flood, as the water level in the Kelani River continued to rise, DMC said.

“Although the cyclone has left us, heavy rains upstream are now flooding low-lying areas along the banks of the Kelani River,” a DMC official said.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake declared a state of emergency on Saturday to deal with the aftermath of the cyclone and appealed for international aid.

India was the first to respond, sending relief supplies and two helicopters with crew to carry out rescue missions. Japan said it will send a team to assess immediate needs and pledged further assistance.

While the rains have subsided across the island, several roads in the worst-affected central province remained inaccessible, the DMC said.

The extreme weather system has destroyed more than 20,000 homes and sent 122,000 people into state-run temporary shelters. Another 833,000 people required assistance after being displaced by the floods.

Troops from the army, navy, and air force have been deployed alongside civilian workers and volunteers to assist with the relief effort.

Officials reported that about a third of the country remains without electricity or running water due to collapsed power lines and inundated water purification facilities. Internet connections have also been disrupted.

The cyclone has become Sri Lanka’s deadliest natural disaster since 2017, when flooding and landslides killed more than 200 people and displaced hundreds of thousands.

The worst flooding since the turn of the century occurred in June 2003, when 254 people were killed.