Sri Lanka issues fresh landslide warnings as Cyclone Ditwah death toll crosses 600
Fresh landslide warnings in Sri Lanka as Cyclone Ditwah death toll climbs
- Sri Lanka has issued fresh landslide warnings as the death toll from Cyclone Ditwah and ongoing monsoon rains climbed to 627, with hundreds still missing.
- Ongoing monsoon rains are further destabilising hillsides in central and northwestern regions, prompting the National Building Research Organisation to expand its alerts to several districts, with some at Level 3 for imminent slope failure.
- More than two million people, approximately 10 per cent of the population, have been affected by the disaster, with tens of thousands remaining displaced.
- The government has announced a compensation package and is seeking an additional $200m from the International Monetary Fund to support recovery and reconstruction efforts, estimated to cost up to $7bn.
- President Anura Kumara Dissanayake declared the disaster a “national priority”, acknowledging that weakened infrastructure and overstretched public services are struggling with the scale of devastation.