Sri Lanka: Death toll reaches 200 with hundreds missing after Cyclone Ditwah

Southeast Asia's new Cyclone Ditwa claimed 200 lives after flash floods and landslides, grappled Sri Lanka, leaving hundreds missing.

The Sri Lankan Disaster Management Centre informed that one of the worst disasters in years has destroyed more than 20,000 homes, sending 108,000 people to state-run shelter homes amid rescue operations, reports BBC.

Moreover, authorities informed that a state of emergency has been announced after a third of the country was left without electricity and water in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah.

As reported by BBC, the highest numbers of deaths were reported in Kandy and Badulla.

“We can't leave the village, and no one can come in because all roads are blocked by landslides-There is no food, and we are running out of clean water," informed villagers from Badullah.

Several military operations had been conducted by helicopters to rescue flood victims in the region.

Furthermore, the Sri Lankan government had also issued an appeal for international aid and urged people abroad to donate money to support affected communities.

Cyclone Ditwah swept through Sri Lanka's eastern coast on Friday, November 28, 2025, causing torrential rains and flash flooding in the region.

The country is currently experiencing its monsoon season, but the rare extreme weather is one of the worst disasters in years.

The flooding in Sri Lanka was reported after Southeast Asia faced some exacerbated floods, intensified by tropical storms in years with millions impacted across Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.

According to meteorologists, the extreme weather in Southeast Asia may have been caused by the interaction of typhoons, as climate change has altered storm patterns, including the intensity and duration of the season, resulting in heavier downpours, strong winds and flash flooding.

The worst flooding was recorded in June 2023 previously, where more than 250 people were killed and hundreds of thousands were displaced.