Sri Lanka declares emergency as death toll rises to 153 with nearly 200 missing

ISTANBUL

Sri Lanka on Saturday declared a state of emergency and sought international help as the death toll from deadly floods climbed to 153 while nearly 200 people are still missing, according to local media.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake declared a state of emergency for the island nation in response to the extensive damage caused by Cyclone Ditwah, with the death toll reaching 153 and the number of casualties expected to rise, NewsWire reported.

The South Asian country's Disaster Management Centre reports that 191 people are still missing as a result of the ongoing severe weather.

Despite heavy rain, damaged roads, and widespread power and communication outages, search and rescue operations are ongoing.

The government has announced that both Sri Lankans living abroad and foreign nationals are encouraged to contribute to the efforts for those affected by the disaster.

Official spokespeople said the bank account details for donations are available at Sri Lanka's embassies and foreign missions in Sri Lanka, as reported by the Daily Mirror.

Since hitting Sri Lanka on Wednesday, Cyclone Ditwah has affected 774,724 people from 217,263 families, while 100,898 have been relocated to 798 shelters in response to the crisis.

Severe weather, including intense rainfall, rising floodwaters, and landslides, has been impacting the island since Nov. 17.

Authorities have also issued high-risk flood alerts for several major rivers, advising people living downstream of these waterways to evacuate immediately.

Dissanayake ordered the deployment of more than 20,000 military personnel for rescue operations, the Daily Mirror reported.

Authorities earlier issued a red-alert landslide warning for eight high-risk districts, signaling a severe risk to steep slopes, hillside communities, and vulnerable zones.

According to All India Radio, Ditwah is likely to move India’s southern coastal Tamil Nadu state by early Sunday, disrupting flight services and education in some regions.