Sri Lanka declares emergency as toll from floods, mudslides hits 153

The Star

Sri Lanka has declared a state of emergency and sought international aid after Cyclone Ditwah caused floods and mudslides that killed 153 people and left 191 missing.   Read more at https://tinyurl.com/evh2bwy3  WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline

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00:00Sri Lanka declared a state of emergency on Saturday and appealed for international aid

00:09as the death toll from floods and mudslides triggered by Cyclone Ditwa rose to 153,

00:15with 191 people still missing. The Disaster Management Center, DMC, reported that the

00:22cyclone destroyed over 20,000 homes, forcing 108,000 people into state-run temporary shelters,

00:30DMC spokesman Pradeep Kodapili said a further 798,000 people were displaced and in need of

00:37assistance. President Anura Kumara Disanayake invoked emergency powers, granting himself

00:43sweeping authority to manage the aftermath of a week of torrential rain. Among the casualties

00:49were 11 residents of an elderly care home in the Kurunagala district. Troops, civilian workers

00:55and volunteers have been deployed for relief efforts. About a third of the country remains

01:00without electricity or running water due to collapsed power lines and inundated purification

01:06facilities, while Internet services are also disrupted. Cyclone Ditwa moved away from Sri Lanka

01:12on Saturday toward India. Chennai Airport canceled 54 flights as the Weather Department forecasted heavy

01:19rainfall and strong winds over the next 48 hours. Sri Lanka has appealed for international assistance

01:25and urged citizens abroad to make cash donations. India was the first to respond, sending two planes

01:33of relief supplies, two transport helicopters, a 22-member rescue team, and rations from an Indian warship

01:41already in Colombo. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences and pledged additional aid.

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