UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS; CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE; EDITS THROUGH
By Berk Kutay Gokmen
ISTANBUL (AA) - Sri Lanka on Saturday declared a state of emergency and sought international help following the deadly floods that have killed at least 123 people, according to local media.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake declared a state of emergency in response to the extensive damage caused by Cyclone Ditwah, with the national death toll reaching 123 and the number of casualties expected to rise, NewsWire reported.
The country's Disaster Management Centre reports that 171 people are still missing as a result of the ongoing severe weather, according to local news provider Ada Derana.
Despite heavy rain, damaged roads, and widespread power and communication outages, search and rescue operations are ongoing.
The government has announced that both Sri Lankans living abroad and foreign nationals are encouraged to contribute to the relief efforts for those affected by the disaster.
The President's Media Division noted that bank account details for donations are available at Sri Lanka's embassies and foreign missions in Sri Lanka, as reported by Daily Mirror.
Cyclone Ditwah, which hit Sri Lanka on Nov. 26, has affected 373,428 people from 102,877 families, while 43,925 have been relocated to 488 shelters in response to the crisis.
Severe weather, including intense rainfall, rising floodwaters, and landslides, has been impacting the island since Nov. 17.
Authorities have also issued high-risk flood alerts for several major rivers, advising people living downstream of these waterways to evacuate immediately.
Dissanayake ordered the deployment of more than 20,000 military personnel to conduct rescue operations, the Daily Mirror reported.
Authorities earlier issued a red-alert landslide warning for eight high-risk districts, signaling a severe risk to steep slopes, hillside communities, and vulnerable zones.
According to the All India Radio, Ditwah is likely to move India’s southern coast in Tamil Nadu state by early Sunday, disrupting flight services and education in some regions.