Local residents in disaster-hit Sri Lanka are coming to terms with the scale of devastation as the death toll from adverse weather triggered by Cyclone Ditwah rose to 474 on Wednesday, while hundreds more remain missing.
The Disaster Management Center (DMC) said that 356 people remain unaccounted for following the deadly cyclone which has affected more than 1.58 million people nationwide, with nearly 1,000 houses being destroyed and over 40,000 suffering partial damage.
The National Building Research Organization of Sri Lanka reported 215 severe landslides across seven districts, with one geologist saying that the high number of fatalities came as many appeared not to heed the repeated warnings to evacuate from at-risk areas.
Locals like Rasika Sanjeewa have been left with nothing, while the immediate future remains uncertain. Sanjeewa is one of the many people who have been displaced to temporary shelters in the wake of the cyclone's devastation.
"We suffer like this every time. We have no place to stay. Our houses and everything have been destroyed and need to be rebuilt. We have to start again from the beginning," he said.
Entire villages across the island have been destroyed, while life has come to a standstill. Those who survived must now begin the uphill task of rebuilding.
"We feel helpless, forced to live like this. All we want is for someone to look at the state of our homes when we return and offer us some help. That is all we are asking for," said Chandrika Priyanthi, another victim.
Rescuers are navigating floodwaters by boat as they try to reach those who have been left stranded by the rising waters.
Many hilly regions have been decimated by landslides, while efforts are ongoing to locate those still missing.
The country now faces a long road to recovery, as infrastructure and transport networks have suffered extensive damage and are expected to take weeks to restore.
But authorities say that a large-scale emergency response has been launched, with funding being released to help support local districts recover from the impact of the extreme weather.
"The health sector is providing the advices and medicines and all. The Sri Lankan government is fully engaged and the money has been released to the district secretaries. And for the compensation for the dead, one million Sri Lankan rupees will be provided," said Pradeep Kodippili, an official from the Disaster Management Center.
Death toll from catastrophic cyclone rises to 474 in Sri Lanka
