As Death Toll from Cyclone Ditwah Reaches 486, India Sends Additional Critical Aid to Sri Lanka

As Sri Lanka continues to grapple with widespread devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah, India has stepped up its relief efforts by dispatching more mobile modular bridge systems to support connectivity restoration across affected regions. The cyclone triggered massive flooding, landslides, and extensive infrastructure damage, severely limiting access to remote communities and challenging Sri Lanka’s emergency response capabilities.

Authorities confirmed that as of Thursday night, at least 486 people had lost their lives and 341 individuals remained unaccounted for due to the catastrophic weather event that began on November 16. The rising death toll reflects the scale of destruction across multiple districts where homes, roads, and critical public utilities have been washed away.

On Thursday, an Indian Air Force (IAF) C-17 Globemaster aircraft landed in Colombo carrying additional Bailey Bridge systems – just a day after India delivered the first batch of bridge units along with 500 water purification systems, following an urgent request from the Sri Lankan government.

The High Commission of India in Colombo announced the fresh deployment via social media, noting, “These modular bridge structures can be assembled within hours to restore vital road connectivity across Sri Lanka’s disaster-hit regions.” The mission emphasized that the rapid-deployment bridges will play a crucial role in facilitating relief access, emergency mobility, and logistical support in areas severely impacted by landslides and flooding.

The latest IAF aircraft also transported a 25-member team, including a specialized medical unit to strengthen the field hospital previously established by India, along with skilled engineers responsible for constructing the modular bridges. According to officials, engineers who arrived on Wednesday have already initiated installation work at priority locations identified during aerial and ground reconnaissance missions.

“Indian field engineers have reached key sites for on-ground assessment. They are currently working to restore critical road links devastated by Cyclone Ditwah, ensuring affected communities regain access to essential services,” the High Commission added.

Beyond physical infrastructure assistance, India and Sri Lanka are also enhancing cooperation in digital disaster management. During a virtual meeting on Wednesday, Andhra Pradesh Real Time Governance Secretary Bhaskar Katamneni presented a comprehensive “digital disaster-response toolkit” to Sri Lankan officials, including Hans Wijayasuriya, Chief Advisor on Digital Economy to the Sri Lankan President. The toolkit highlighted best practices in forecasting, real-time monitoring, and crisis coordination.

India’s latest efforts come under the broader framework of Operation Sagar Bandhu, a long-standing humanitarian initiative through which India has been providing large-scale air, sea, and ground support to Sri Lanka. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake expressed gratitude to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, calling India’s continued assistance “unwavering and deeply appreciated.”

According to Sri Lanka’s Disaster Management Centre, the scale of the humanitarian crisis continues to grow. As of Thursday evening, more than 18,44,055 people from 5,19,842 families have been displaced or stranded due to the cyclone’s impact. The government has opened 1,347 relief centres, currently sheltering approximately 188,000 individuals, said Jayathissa Munasinghe, Assistant Secretary of the National Disaster Relief Services Centre (NDRSC).

Communication services are gradually recovering. Bandula Herath, Director General of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC), confirmed that about 75% of mobile coverage has been restored. While none of Sri Lanka’s 9,332 telecom towers sustained structural damage, more than 16,900 distribution points remain offline owing to severe electricity shortages and limited fuel supplies for backup power generators.

Tragically, the ongoing rescue and restoration operations have also claimed the lives of eight relief workers. A 41-year-old energy board employee died due to electrocution during restoration work, while earlier incidents claimed the lives of five Navy personnel, a Road Development Authority worker, and a Sri Lankan Air Force pilot during an airdrop mission.

Economic losses from Cyclone Ditwah are estimated to be between USD 6 billion and USD 7 billion, amounting to nearly 3–5% of Sri Lanka’s GDP, officials said. The extensive damage will require long-term rehabilitation efforts, with India’s ongoing assistance playing a critical role in early recovery and connectivity restoration.