Heavy rains battered Sri Lanka again today, slowing down a nationwide clean-up effort just as communities were beginning to recover from last week’s devastating floods and landslides that claimed nearly 500 lives.
According to officials, southern Sri Lanka received up to 132 millimetres of rainfall over a 15-hour period ending last night. Although the rain was intense, authorities noted that the widespread flooding seen over the past week has finally begun to ease.
The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) confirmed that 486 people have been killed, while 341 remain missing after Cyclone Ditwah swept across the island on Saturday.
As water levels recede around Colombo and neighbouring districts, the number of displaced residents in state-run shelters has fallen from 225,000 to 170,000. However, the scale of destruction remains immense.
Record-breaking rainfall triggered flash floods and catastrophic landslides—disasters President Anura Kumara Dissanayake described as the most severe natural tragedy in the country’s history.
Residents in landslide-prone regions have been warned not to return home yet, even if their houses appear undamaged, due to unstable mountainsides that could collapse without warning.
In Gampola, one of the hardest-hit towns, people are working tirelessly to clear mud, debris, and waterlogged interiors. Muslim cleric Faleeldeen Qadiri told AFP that volunteers from surrounding districts have been arriving to help overwhelmed families.
“It takes 10 men an entire day to clean one house,” one volunteer, Rinas, explained. “No one can do this alone.”
Commissioner-General of Essential Services, Prabath Chandrakeerthi, said the government is paying 25,000 rupees (US$83) for each home cleaned. Rebuilding costs are expected to reach US$6–7 billion, with 2.5 million rupees (US$8,300) allocated to families whose houses were completely destroyed. More than 50,000 homes have already been reported damaged.
Power has been restored to nearly three-quarters of the country, though many areas in the Central Province remain without electricity or telecommunication services.
President Dissanayake has declared a state of emergency and pledged to rebuild the nation with the help of international partners.
Behind every statistic is a family, a neighbour, a story abruptly changed. As Sri Lanka begins the long road to recovery, the resilience of its people stands as a reminder that healing is possible—but no one should have to face it alone.
