The death toll from Cyclone Ditwah continues to rise sharply, with over 1,300 deaths reported across Sri Lanka and Indonesia as the storm leaves a trail of destruction across Southeast Asia.
Originating southeast of Sri Lanka last week, Ditwah crawled along the island’s coastline before skirting India’s east coast, unleashing widespread flooding and landslides.
In Sri Lanka, at least 465 people have been confirmed dead, while 366 others remain missing. Entire communities have been swept away, and frustration is mounting among survivors as rescue operations struggle to match the scale of devastation.
India has rushed assistance under Operation Sagar Bandhu, deploying IAF C-130 and IL-76 aircraft carrying paramilitary teams and essential relief supplies to support stranded families.
Indonesia has suffered even heavier casualties, with 755 deaths recorded and around 650 people still unaccounted for following catastrophic floods and landslides triggered by the cyclone’s outer bands.
Meanwhile, remnants of Ditwah brought torrential rain to coastal and interior Tamil Nadu on Wednesday.
According to the IMD, the weakened system has now further downgraded into a well-marked low-pressure area over the southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining Tamil Nadu–Puducherry coasts, continuing to lose strength as it drifts southwestward.
