Sri Lanka’s cyclone death toll climbs to 355, with 366 missing

COLOMBO: Rescuers in Sri Lanka were scrambling on Monday (Dec 1) to clear roads and deliver aid to more than half a million people hit by a cyclone last week, as the death toll climbed to 355, with 366 missing, official figures showed.

Cyclone Ditwah, packing strong winds and heavy rains, brought the island nation’s worst floods in a decade when it struck on Friday, setting off landslides in the hilly central region. 

People salvaged belongings from flooded homes along the banks of the Kelani river near Colombo, the capital, Reuters visuals showed.

Officials said train and flight services resumed after being disrupted last week, although schools stayed closed. 

In a statement, weather authorities said, “It (the storm) is very likely to move northwards, away from the island, and weaken further.”