Fresh landslide warnings were issued for Sri Lanka's central hills on Friday as the country grapples with the aftermath of devastating floods and landslides triggered by Cyclone Ditwah. The death toll from the disaster has climbed to nearly 500, marking one of the most severe natural calamities in the island's history.
Fresh Warnings and Escalating Crisis
The National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) raised a new alert, warning that heavy rains exceeding 150 millimetres within 24 hours have further saturated the mountain slopes, making them highly unstable. The agency urged residents in vulnerable areas to evacuate to safer locations immediately if the rains persist. This latest warning covers new zones not included in previous alerts, heightening concerns.
According to the Disaster Management Centre (DMC), the confirmed death toll now stands at 486 people, with another 341 individuals still missing. The disaster, described by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake as the most challenging in Sri Lanka's history, was caused by record rainfall that led to catastrophic flooding and deadly mudslides.
Massive Scale of Destruction and Recovery Efforts
The scale of the devastation is immense. Officials reported that more than 52,000 houses have been damaged. While floodwaters have receded in the capital Colombo, allowing the number of people in state-run refugee camps to drop to 170,000 from a peak of 225,000, the recovery challenge is staggering.
Commissioner-General of Essential Services Prabath Chandrakeerthi, leading the recovery, stated that authorities are providing 25,000 rupees ($83) per home for cleaning. For completely destroyed homes, a further 2.5 million rupees ($8,300) is being allocated to begin rebuilding. The total estimated cost for reconstruction across damaged roads, bridges, homes, and industries is between $6 to $7 billion.
Ground Zero: Cleanup and a Glimmer of Hope
In affected towns like Gampola, the arduous task of cleanup is underway. Volunteers and thousands of deployed military troops are assisting residents in clearing mud and repairing water damage. The effort is slow and labor-intensive. "We have calculated that it takes 10 men a whole day to clean one house," said a volunteer named Rinas, highlighting the scale of the task.
Amid the destruction, there are signs of resilience. The tourism ministry reported that nearly 300 stranded tourists have been rescued by helicopter, and hotels are reopening for business. Deputy Tourism Minister Ruwan Ranasinghe emphasized the need for tourism revenues to aid the national rebuild. Furthermore, power restoration efforts have seen nearly three-quarters of the national electricity supply come back online, though parts of the worst-hit Central Province remain without power and phone services.
The government continues to seek generous donations to support the long and costly recovery from this unprecedented disaster.
