(Sri Lanka, 1st) Days of extreme weather have subjected Sri Lanka to what is so far its worst natural disaster. Currently, the extreme weather has caused 334 deaths and 370 people missing nationwide, with more than 1.1 million people affected.
The local Disaster Management Center (DMC) stated that the death toll has risen sharply from 212 earlier on Sunday (30th) to 334.
This is the most severe flood in Sri Lanka in more than 20 years. Sri Lanka has declared a state of emergency to cope with the disaster.
The Sri Lankan Disaster Management Center reported that, affected by tropical cyclone “Ditva,” many parts of Sri Lanka have been hit by heavy rains and strong winds in recent days, leading to floods, landslides, and other disasters.
“Ditva” struck Sri Lanka last Wednesday (26th), bringing heavy rains and floods across the island. Although the rainfall has now stopped, low-lying areas of the capital Colombo were still flooded on the 30th, and authorities are preparing to carry out large-scale rescue operations.