Sri Lanka Battered by Cyclone as Death Toll Climbs to 69

Torrential downpours and high winds struck large parts of the island nation as Cyclone Ditwah churned northwest toward India.VideoCyclone Ditwah Causes Deadly Rains in Sri Lanka0:46Several dozen people in Sri Lanka have been killed in storms that intensified with the approach of Cyclone Ditwah, the country’s deadliest natural disaster since 2017.CreditCredit...Ishara S. Kodikara/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesPamodi Waravita and Mujib MashalPamodi Waravita reported from Colombo, Sri Lanka; and Mujib Mashal from New Delhi.Nov. 28, 2025Sri Lanka was battered by heavy rainfalls and powerful storms as Cyclone Ditwah made landfall early Friday on the country’s eastern coast, killing dozens and shutting down much of the island.By late evening, as the cyclone churned northwest toward India, the death toll from floods and landslides in its wake reached at least 69. Officials warned that the actual toll, still being tallied, could be much higher.Entire towns, including several heritage sites, were underwater. Eyewitnesses videos showed floodwaters reaching as high up as second story buildings and partially sweeping away bridges. Rail services were suspended, some major highways have been blocked, and telecom and power outages were reported in large parts of the country.The main international airport serving the capital, Colombo, said that over a dozen flights had been diverted to other airports in the country, or to nearby India, since late Thursday night.Government offices remained shut, and school holidays were extended by a week.“This is the most widespread rainfall in the last decade, covering the entire island,” A. Gunasekara, the director general of Sri Lanka’s irrigation department, said in an interview.By late Friday, disaster relief authorities said the floods and heavy rainfall had affected over 200,000 people, damaging their homes or flooding their fields and crops. The country’s meteorological department predicted the cyclone to pass the island by Saturday evening, although rains will only ease after the weekend.The destruction comes as Sri Lanka, home to over 23 million people, has been finding its footing again, three years after an economic collapse ushered in sweeping political change.The majority of the recorded deaths so far have occurred over the past two days, as storms over the Bay of Bengal intensified with the cyclone’s approach.ImageFlooding in Colombo. The death toll from the cyclone’s impact is likely to grow, the authorities said.Credit...Eranga Jayawardena/Associated PressThe military deployed helicopters in several areas to try to reach those stranded by rising waters. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake led an emergency meeting of district officials on Friday, and Harini Amarasuriya, the prime minister, said, “Our biggest effort is to rescue those who are trapped.In addition to the 69 killed in total in the country, 34 others have been reported missing, the authorities said late on Friday. The deadliest effects have been in Badulla, in Sri Lanka’s central hills, where landslides caused by heavy rains have killed at least 30 people since Wednesday. “Most deaths in the district were due to landslides, people buried under houses,” said L.U. Kumara, director of the disaster management body in Badulla. He added: “We’re moving people to emergency relief centers. Our next problem is food and clean water, but we are coordinating with different government authorities to provide these necessities.”ImageStorm damage in Colombo on Friday. Some major highways have been blocked, and telecom and power outages have been reported around Sri Lanka.Credit...Ishara S. Kodikara/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesThe cyclone is Sri Lanka’s deadliest natural disaster since 2017, when flooding and landslides killed over 200 people and displaced hundreds of thousands of others.Officials have warned that Colombo could face some of the worst floods in years. The city lies in the Kelani River Basin, which the irrigation department has declared at high risk. The department has warned residents in areas close to the river to take precautionary measures.A forecast map issued early Friday by the country’s department of meteorology showed almost the entire island marked as red, which meant that heavy rainfall was expected. Strong winds of about 40 to 50 miles per hour were also expected over most of the island, the department said.ImageWind and rain battering Sri Lanka. The cyclone is the country’s deadliest natural disaster since 2017.Credit...Eranga Jayawardena/Associated PressMujib Mashal is the South Asia bureau chief for The Times, helping to lead coverage of India and the diverse region around it, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan.SKIP