Cyclone Ditwah pushed north across Sri Lanka on Friday (Nov 28), leaving 46 people dead and 23 unaccounted for as severe flooding swept through the country. Officials reported that most fatalities were the result of landslides caused by over 300mm of rainfall in the eastern and central regions. Nearly 44,000 people have been affected nationwide, with many taking shelter in schools and public buildings, according to the Disaster Management Centre (DMC). The Irrigation Department warned that flooding—which has already inundated large parts of southern and eastern Sri Lanka, including areas of Colombo—could worsen in the next 12 hours.

The Colombo Stock Exchange suspended trading early, and schools and train services remained closed. Military and police teams carried out rescue operations, including the airlifting of 13 people stranded on a bridge in Polonnaruwa, about 220km northeast of Colombo. Air force footage also showed rescues of families trapped on rooftops and a man perched atop a coconut tree.

Heavy rains disrupted operations at Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), forcing 15 flights to divert to airports such as Trivandrum and Cochin in southern India. India has supplied 6.5 metric tons of food aid to support relief efforts as the storm heads toward southern India. More than 20,000 police and military personnel intensified evacuations in several towns, especially around Colombo, after warnings of rising water levels. “Strong winds are making the flooding even worse. We moved furniture from two nearby houses to a safer place, and now I’m heading to the shelter to join my family,” said Mohammed Rumy, a 70-year-old resident of Wellampitiya.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters.