At least 56 people have died in Sri Lanka after Cyclone Ditwah brought torrential rain and strong winds, triggering deadly landslides and flooding across eastern and central regions.
The storm made landfall early Friday with sustained winds of 65 km/h, dumping more than 300 mm of rain in 24 hours and causing most fatalities in the mountainous tea-growing districts of Badulla and Nuwara Eliya.
Twenty-three people remain missing nationwide, while 14 others were injured in the hardest-hit areas.
Landslides claimed more than 25 lives in Badulla and Nuwara Eliya alone, with additional deaths reported elsewhere.
The Disaster Management Centre said 43,991 people from over 12,000 families were evacuated to schools and public shelters.
Military helicopters and navy boats conducted rescues, airlifting stranded residents from rooftops, bridges, and even a coconut tree.
More than 20,000 police and military personnel assisted evacuation operations, particularly around Colombo as floodwaters continued to rise.
Four houses were completely destroyed and over 600 damaged, while fallen trees and mud blocked roads and railway lines.
All schools and government offices closed Friday, train services were suspended, and the Colombo Stock Exchange ended trading early.
Fifteen international flights were diverted from Bandaranaike International Airport to airports in southern Sri Lanka and India.
The Irrigation Department issued a red-level flood warning for the Kelani River valley, including Colombo, forecasting heightened risk for the next 48 hours as the storm moves toward southern India.