Sri Lanka landslides feared as toll hits 618, widespread loss sweeps Asia

Disaster agency warns that monsoon storms are adding more rain and making hillsides unstable.Published On 7 Dec 2025Sri Lankan authorities have issued new landslide warnings with rains lashing areas already devastated by a powerful cyclone, as the death toll rose to 618, while other parts of Asia continue to grapple with the scale of the destruction and mounting casualties that have exceeded 1,800.The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) warned on Sunday that monsoon storms were adding more rain and making hillsides unstable, including the central mountainous region and the northwestern midlands.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3More heavy rain slows Sri Lanka’s recovery after deadly cyclonelist 2 of 3Mother recounts escape from landslide amid Indonesia floodslist 3 of 3Heavy rains hamper recovery as death toll from floods in Asia exceeds 1,750end of listMore than two million people – nearly 10 percent of the population – have been affected by last week’s climate crisis-spurred floods and landslides triggered by Cyclone Ditwah, the worst on the island this century.On Sunday, helicopters and planes were being used to supply communities cut off by landslides in the centre of the country.The Sri Lanka Air Force said it had received a planeload of relief supplies from Myanmar on Sunday, the latest batch of foreign aid.The government has confirmed 618 dead – 464 from the lush tea-growing central region – while 209 people remain unaccounted for.The number of people in state-run refugee camps had dropped to 100,000 from a peak of 225,000 as floodwaters receded across the island by Sunday, the DMC said.More than 75,000 homes were damaged, including close to 5,000 that were destroyed, it added.An aerial view of submerged houses in a flooded area caused by heavy rainfall following Cyclone Ditwah in Niyamgamdora in Sri Lanka [Akila Jayawardena/Reuters]A senior official had said recovery and reconstruction might cost up to $7bn.