Cyclone Ditwah: India Helps Sri Lanka in Rescue Ops, IAF Evacuates Foreign Nationals of 12 Countries

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has evacuated over 50 people, including children, from over 10 countries to assist Sri Lanka in its rescue operations amid flooding caused by Cyclone Ditwah, officials said.

According to official figures, the IAF rescued 14 Sri Lankan nationals, 12 Indians, 6 nationals from Belarus, 5 Iranians, 4 South Africans, 3 nationals from Poland, 3 Bangladeshis, 2 Germans, 2 nationals from Slovenia, 2 nationals from the United Kingdom, one Australian and one Pakistani.

As of Sunday at noon, Sri Lanka's Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said that that 193 people have been killed and 228 are missing as devastating floods have torn through parts of Colombo as Sri Lanka struggles with the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake declared a state of emergency on Saturday and appealed for international help. India was first to respond, sending relief supplies and rescue helicopters, while Japan have also pledged assistance.

The cyclone has destroyed more than 25,000 homes, forcing 147,000 people into temporary shelters, with another 968,000 requiring assistance after being displaced. Military personnel are working alongside civilian responders in the huge relief effort.

This marks Sri Lanka's deadliest natural disaster since 2017, when floods and landslides killed more than 200 people. The country's worst flooding this century occurred in June 2003, killing 254 people.

IAF Rescue and Relief Operations

The Indian Air Force is simultaneously engaged in domestic support operations and international rescue efforts in Sri Lanka.

The IAF undertook a hybrid rescue mission using helicopters to extricate stranded passengers from a restricted zone near Kotmale. A Garud commando was winched down to guide a group of 24 passengers including Indian, foreign, and Sri Lankan nationals to a helipad for evacuation to Colombo.

In a parallel effort, three critical casualties were airlifted for immediate medical attention, and five teams (40 troops) of the Sri Lankan Army were airlifted to the landslide-affected Kotmale region.

The High Commission of India in Colombo is facilitating the swift return of Indian passengers stranded in Sri Lanka. Evacuation flights by the IAF and commercial airlines are being facilitated.

Also Read: Cyclone Ditwah: 3 Killed in India, Sri Lanka Death Toll Nears 200; Evacuations Underway