Sri Lanka Floods Rescue VIDEO: Air Force RACES To Save Thousands As Cyclone Ditwah Leaves 123 Dead

Oneindia

Newly released footage from the Sri Lankan Air Force shows urgent rescue operations underway as Cyclone Ditwah leaves a path of destruction across the island. Torrential rains, flash floods, and landslides have killed at least 123 people, with another 130 still missing. Helicopters are evacuating stranded villagers in Anuradhapura, while streets in Colombo remain submerged as families wade through waist-deep water. Authorities warn the toll may rise as communication with several regions remains cut off.  Over 44,000 people have been moved to state-run shelters, and international assistance — including emergency supplies from India — is now arriving. With the cyclone moving toward India’s coast, Sri Lanka faces an immense humanitarian and rebuilding challenge.    #SriLankaFloods #CycloneDitwah #SriLankaDisaster #SriLankaRescue #ColomboFloods #SriLankaNews #SriLankaEmergency #DitwahCyclone #SriLankaAirForce #FloodRescueSriLanka #BreakingNews #SriLankaCrisis #SriLankaLandslides #SriLankaStorm #SriLankaUpdates #DisasterInSriLanka #OperationSagarBandhu #IndiaAidSriLanka  ~HT.410~ED.103~

Transcript

00:00.

00:24Sri Lanka is witnessing extraordinary scenes today

00:28while the Air Force releases gripping new footage from ongoing rescue missions across the island.

00:40The images show helicopters hovering low over flood-swamped villages,

00:46winch cables swinging in the wind,

00:48and terrified residents clinging to rooftops as water races beneath them.

00:54According to emergency officials, the death toll from the floods and landslides has now climbed to 56,

01:01with at least 21 people still missing.

01:09And much of the rescue effort is now concentrated in the north-central district of Anurajapura,

01:15where entire hamlets have been cut off by surging floodwaters.

01:20In the newly released video, Air Force teams can be seen lowering harnesses to families stranded for more than 24 hours,

01:29including elderly villagers and children who had taken shelter in treetops after their homes were swept away.

01:37The wind from cyclone Ditwa continues to whip across the plains,

01:47making every extraction a battle against time and against the elements.

01:52On the ground, in Colombo, the situation is no less dramatic.

01:57Footage from the capital shows residents wading through chest-deep water,

02:02holding plastic bags over their heads,

02:04while others use barrels, refrigerators, even broken doors as makeshift rafts to navigate submerged streets.

02:12A sobering reminder of how quickly the cyclone transformed everyday life into a fight for survival.

02:27Officials say the rain bands trailing cyclone Ditwa are still pushing into low-lying areas,

02:33forcing rescue crews to work round the clock.

02:37At one point, three simultaneous helicopter sorties were launched to reach a cluster of villages

02:44where distress calls had abruptly stopped after communications failed.

02:50When rescuers finally made visual contact, they found families signaling with white cloth,

03:01trapped between rising waters and collapsing riverbanks.

03:05The Air Force describes conditions as extremely hazardous.

03:10Pilots are navigating low visibility, unpredictable wind shears,

03:15and narrow landing zones carved out only by the flood water itself.

03:25Yet despite these dangers, teams have managed to airlift dozens of people to safety since dawn.

03:32Meanwhile, relief boats are moving through areas where helicopters can't operate,

03:38weaving through broken bridges, uprooted trees, and floating debris.

03:43Some of the most dramatic onboard footage shows soldiers pulling a man from the water

03:48moments after he was swept downstream, barely conscious, clinging to a branch.

04:05He survived.

04:06Across the island, thousands have now taken refuge in temporary shelters.

04:11Aid workers say the immediate priority is getting dry rations, drinking water,

04:17and medical supplies to isolated pockets that have not yet been reached.

04:28Meteorologists mourn that although Cyclone Ditwa has moved past Sri Lanka,

04:33its aftermath is far from over.

04:35Heavy rains may persist for another day, and with river levels still rising,

04:41authorities fear fresh evacuations may need to be needed.

04:45But for now, the focus is squarely on the skies, and on the teams risking their lives to save others.

04:53Every clip, every rescue, every signal from the ground tells the story of a nation confronting disaster with extraordinary courage.

05:03And as more footage emerges, the scale of both the destruction and the heroism becomes unmistakably clear.

05:11The experience of the sun is exactly unmistakably clear.

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