In Sri Lanka, Cyclone Ditwah caused widespread flooding and landslides, killing 334. The rains stop, but urban areas remain under water. The rescue of the endangered continues.
Floods and landslides caused by Cyclone Ditwah have already killed 334 people in Sri Lanka, while another 400 are still missing, the disaster management agency said on Sunday. According to local officials, this is the worst natural disaster in the last two decades, TASR reports, according to an AFP report.
Heavy rains have eased after a week, but low-lying areas of the capital, Colombo, remain flooded. The situation has affected more than a million people, the disaster management agency said.
A helicopter carrying food for patients stranded at a hospital north of Colombo crashed into a river on Sunday evening. An air force spokesman told AFP that all five crew members were rescued and taken to a nearby hospital. Another helicopter dispatched from India rescued 24 people on Sunday. The Pakistan Air Force has also dispatched rescue teams and Japan has also pledged assistance. Cyclone Ditwah moved north towards India on Saturday.
