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Cyclone Ditwah has carved a trail of devastation across Sri Lanka, claiming at least 334 lives and leaving 370 others unaccounted for, according to local media citing the Disaster Management Centre (DMC).

Entire communities have been upended, with the nation reeling under what President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has called the most catastrophic natural disaster in its history.

Kandy stands as the epicentre of the tragedy, bearing the heaviest toll with 88 deaths and 150 missing. Badulla, Nuwara Eliya, and Matale too have been ravaged, their hillsides and villages battered by unrelenting winds and floodwaters. In all, more than 1.1 million people from over 3 lakh families have been touched by the calamity, reports the Daily Mirror.

Communication breakdowns continue to hinder rescue crews, forcing responders to battle both nature’s fury and silence. To ease the strain on lifelines, Sri Lanka’s telecom operators have pledged to prioritise emergency calls, hoping to cut through the congestion choking critical channels.

Amid the chaos, Indian rescue teams are working shoulder to shoulder with Sri Lanka’s armed forces, police, and local volunteers, helping ferry stranded families to safety, deliver essential supplies, and provide urgent assistance to flood-hit regions. Across the island, evacuation missions and relief operations push forward with tireless resolve.

In a solemn address to the nation, President Dissanayake outlined the government’s three sacred duties in moments of national calamity: to confront the emergency, restore normalcy, and rebuild the country stronger than before. He assured citizens that the State of Public Emergency — declared solely for disaster management — would not infringe on civil liberties, and that efforts to revive water, power, and communication networks are underway with utmost urgency.

No displaced person will be abandoned, he vowed. Thousands of soldiers, sailors, and airmen continue to wade through treacherous terrain, often around the clock, bringing hope to communities submerged in loss.

The president called for unity at home and solidarity abroad, appealing to friendly nations and the global Sri Lankan diaspora to stand with the island in its darkest hour. He urged all political parties to set aside divisions and rally together as the nation confronts a calamity that has shaken it to its core.

With IANS inputs