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Villages submerged, roads washed away: Sri Lanka reels from floods and Cyclone Ditwah | 15 photos of chaos
Published on Nov 28, 2025 05:27 PM IST
Sri Lanka deployed over 20,000 troops and the navy to rescue villagers as floods and landslides linked to Cyclone Ditwah killed 56 people, with 21 missing.
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Published on Nov 28, 2025 05:27 PM IST
In India, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been deployed in several districts of Tamil Nadu for precautionary measures ahead of Cyclone Ditwah, following requests from state authorities in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.(PTI)
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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Ditwah, with strong winds and the potential for extremely heavy rainfall, is expected to reach the southwest Bay of Bengal near North Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and south Andhra Pradesh coasts by early November 30. Fishing boats remain anchored at the Vizhinjam Harbour in the wake of bad weather and the impact of cyclonic storm Ditwah, in Thiruvananthapuram, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025.(PTI)
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Sri Lanka deployed its military on Friday to carry out rescue and relief operations after floods and landslides across the island killed 56 people, with another 21 reported missing. The country, currently in its northeast monsoon season, has seen intensified rainfall due to Cyclone Ditwah, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said. People move through a flooded road after heavy rainfall in Kaduwela on the outskirts of Colombo on November 28, 2025.(AFP)
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Helicopters, navy boats, and thousands of troops are being used to evacuate stranded villagers in several regions, the DMC said. Rainfall has affected Sri Lanka’s entire 65,000-square-kilometre area, with some locations recording up to 360 millimetres in the past 24 hours. A flooded hospital after heavy rains is seen in Chilaw, north of Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025.(AP)
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A vehicle moves through a flooded road after heavy rainfall in Kaduwela on the outskirts of Colombo on November 28, 2025. Sri Lanka deployed the military for relief and rescue operations.(AFP)
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The Kelani River, which flows into the Indian Ocean near the capital Colombo, is expected to overflow later on Friday, prompting warnings for residents to move to higher ground. More than 20,000 troops have been deployed, while the navy is assisting in evacuations and clearing debris.(REUTERS)
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Of the 56 confirmed deaths, 26 people were buried in mudslides in the tea-growing Badulla district in central Sri Lanka. Fourteen others are hospitalized. Nearly 3,000 homes have been damaged, and around 15,000 people have been moved to temporary shelters. People walk past a section of a highway blocked by a landslide caused by heavy rain in Badulla, Sri Lanka, Thursday, Nov, 27, 2025.(AP)
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The system, moving at 10 kmph, was located at 8.1°N and 81.2°E on Friday morning, approximately 50 km south of Trincomalee and 70 km northwest of Batticaloa. It is expected to track north-northwest along Sri Lanka’s coast before entering the Bay of Bengal, prompting advisories for coastal residents and fishermen.(AFP)
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A man packs his belongings as he stands inside his house partially submerged in floodwaters after heavy rainfall in Kaduwela on the outskirts of Colombo on November 28, 2025. (AFP)
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A man walks on a flooded street as a woman stands at the entrance to her home in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025.(AP)
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A tree is uprooted in front of a residential building partially damaged by heavy rains in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025.(AP)
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People and vehicles wade through a waterlogged street following heavy rainfall in Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, November 28, 2025.(REUTERS)
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A woman and child walk under a downpour in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025.(AP)
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A man stands at the entrance to his home flooded by rainwater in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025.(AP)
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