At least 334 people have died and 370 are still missing in Sri Lanka after Cyclone Ditwah, according to a report by the Daily Mirror, which quoted the country’s Disaster Management Centre.
Kandy is the worst-affected district, where 88 deaths and 150 missing cases have been recorded. Other badly hit areas include Badulla with 71 deaths, Nuwara Eliya with 68 deaths and Matale with 23 deaths and many more injuries and losses.
Overall, the cyclone has impacted more than 11 lakh people from over three lakh families across Sri Lanka.
Stranded Indian nationals evacuated
The Indian Air Force has rescued more than 300 stranded Indian citizens from Sri Lanka and flown them to Thiruvananthapuram.
#CycloneDitwah | Indian Air Force in #SriLanka
IAF helicopters undertook a hybrid rescue mission to extricate stranded passengers from a restricted zone.
A Garud commando was winched down to guide the group through cross-country route to a pre-briefed helipad at Kotmale, from… pic.twitter.com/F6Tzi41MuN— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) November 30, 2025
Aircraft used earlier to send relief supplies and NDRF teams – such as the IL-76 and C-130J – were used for the evacuation operation, according to a PTI report.
Cyclone Ditwah leaves major destruction at Marina Beach
Cyclone Ditwah, which had formed over the Southwest Bay of Bengal, has now weakened into a deep depression in India. This has brought relief to the northern parts of Tamil Nadu, which were earlier warned about extremely heavy rainfall. Scenes from Chennai’s Marina Beach show the impact of the cyclone. The sea is still very rough, with huge foamy waves crashing far beyond the usual shoreline.
#WATCH | Chennai, Tamil Nadu | Strong winds, high tides, and a wave of destruction seen at Chennai's Marina Beach, in the aftermath of cyclone Ditwah. pic.twitter.com/s8qxTAo9f8
— ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2025
As of Monday morning, the 180 km wide weakened system was located around 110 km southeast of Puducherry, 140 km northeast of Vedaranyam and 180 km south-southeast of Chennai as it moved northward.
Meanwhile, tech company Starlink has announced free satellite internet service for both Indonesia and Sri Lanka, which have been heavily affected by the cyclone. The company said the service will remain free for users in affected areas until December 2025.
India launches operation Sagar Bandhu
India has launched a major relief effort called Operation Sagar Bandhu to help Sri Lanka recover. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar confirmed that more Indian Air Force aircraft reached Colombo on Sunday with emergency supplies.
Under the operation, a C-17 aircraft also transported NDRF teams and equipment from Pune to Sri Lanka. India has so far sent 21 tonnes of relief material, over 80 members of the NDRF team, and around 8 tonnes of equipment to support rescue and flood-relief efforts.
The quick response and large-scale assistance highlight India’s strong support to Sri Lanka in this crisis, with continuous humanitarian aid and rescue operations underway.
