Cyclone Ditwah devastates island: 69 dead, dozens missing

Cyclone Ditwah continues to unleash heavy rains, floods and landslides across the island, in one of the worst weather disasters in recent years.

Sri Lanka's Disaster Management Centre (DMC) confirmed on Friday evening that 69 people have been killed, with 34 still missing and more than 219,000 individuals affected.

Across the North-East, entire villages remain submerged, major transport routes have been cut off and hospitals have been crippled by floodwaters. Telecommunications in parts of Mullaitivu and Vavuniya have collapsed entirely, leaving families unable to contact loved ones trapped by the rising waters.

Two killed after car swept away on A9 in Vavuniya

In Vavuniya, a car swept away by floodwaters near the A9 Shanthasolai junction was recovered by villagers, the army and police. Two bodies, a man and a woman, were found inside the vehicle and later transferred to Vavuniya Hospital for post-mortem examination. The A9 section where the incident took place has been submerged for more than a day.

Road closures have effectively cut off the Northern Province. Travel between Vavuniya, Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi and Jaffna has become impossible, with the A9 blocked at Nochchimettai and Paranattangal. Hundreds of vehicles have been queueing on both sides of the closure.

Young volunteers rescue livestock in Puliyankulam

Amid the devastation, local youth in Puliyankulam have been praised for rescuing animals trapped in floodwaters. Members of the Puliyankulam Revolutionary Sports Club waded into the waters to pull livestock to safety, earning appreciation from residents.

Vavuniya under water: families trapped and hospitals failing

Continuous rains have flooded homes, businesses, schools and churches in Vavuniya. Families in Kandasamy Nagar, Old Mani Farm, Kothander Nochchikulam and Poompuhar remain trapped, with rescue teams unable to reach them by helicopter due to hazardous conditions.

The Sri Lankan navy has been deployed to assist with evacuations by boat.

A district-level emergency meeting was held on Thursday at the Vavuniya District Secretariat, chaired by Deputy Minister Upali Samarasinghe, and attended by MP P. Sathyalingam, divisional secretaries and tri-service officers.

The situation is worsening as major water tanks overflow or risk breaching. All four sluice gates of the Pavakulam Dam have been opened to ten feet and three gates of the Peraru Dam have been opened to five metres. Several tanks downstream are reported to have broken, and emergency drainage operations are under way.

Hospitals in Nedunkerni and Bogaswewa have been flooded, forcing a halt to all but emergency services. Vavuniya Hospital remains functional but has requested military assistance to transport patients requiring transfer to Anuradhapura and Jaffna.

Food distribution centres have been activated across the district, with both the District Secretariat and volunteers providing cooked meals to displaced families.

Mannar faces rising waters

Mannar District has been struck by continuous windy rain, flooding villages across all five divisional secretariat regions: Mannar, Nanattan, Musali, Manthai West and Madu.

Water levels in Malwathu Oya have risen to nearly 17 feet and are still increasing, prompting warnings to residents in low-lying areas. Coastal communities in Vidathal Thivu, Devanpitiya and Antoniyar Puram have been hit by seawater intrusion caused by strong winds. Fishing boats have been damaged or displaced, adding to the loss of livelihoods.

Military personnel have been stationed at the Mannar main bridge, turning back travellers due to unsafe conditions.

Mullaitivu Hospital submerged and communications collapse

The Puthukkudiyiruppu Base Hospital in Mullaitivu is reported to have been fully submerged, with evacuations becoming nearly impossible. With communications down across large parts of Mullaitivu District since Wednesday night, residents have been unable to contact family members or emergency services.

Mullaitivu district has suffered a total power outage since midnight, with telecommunication towers also down. Residents have had no phone or internet access for more than 15 hours, preventing people from calling for help despite severe flooding.

With communication networks offline, there is still no official confirmation of the full extent of casualties and property damage. Ground reports indicate entire stretches of Mullaitivu remain underwater, with families unable to evacuate.

The Vattuvagal bridge on the A35 is completely submerged, blocking all traffic. Roads from Pudhabulavu to Mullaitivu via Keppapulavu are similarly cut off.

India deploys assistance as Modi expresses condolences

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences and announced immediate assistance under "Operation Sagar Bandhu".

India has dispatched relief materials and agreed to deploy helicopters from the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, currently docked in Colombo, to support rescue and relief operations.

“India continues to stand firmly with Sri Lanka in its hour of need,” Modi said.

My heartfelt condolences to the people of Sri Lanka who have lost their loved ones due to Cyclone Ditwah. I pray for the safety, comfort and swift recovery of all affected families.

In solidarity with our closest maritime neighbour, India has urgently dispatched relief…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 28, 2025

Island-wide impact and power failures

The Ceylon Electricity Board reported that 25 to 30 percent of the island’s electricity supply has been disrupted due to the storm.

BBC Weather forecasts that Cyclone Ditwah will begin moving away from Sri Lanka on 29 November, though officials warn that reservoir levels and soil saturation mean landslide and flood threats will remain high for days.