153 dead in Sri Lanka, 191 missing, after cyclone floods, mudslides wreak havoc
The nation has appealed for international aid after the devastating Cyclone Ditwah caused most rivers and reservoirs to overflow
The death toll from heavy floods and mudslides caused by Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka has risen to 153, with 191 people still missing, authorities said on Saturday.
The extreme weather has destroyed more than 20,000 homes, sending 108,000 people to state-run temporary shelters, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) reported.
A further 798,000 people required help after being temporarily displaced by the floods, DMC spokesman Pradeep Kodippili said.
The death toll is expected to rise. Social media posts on Saturday showed several areas affected by overnight mudslides that authorities had yet to reach.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake invoked emergency powers, granting him sweeping authority to manage the aftermath of the devastation caused by a week of torrential rain across the island.
Kodippili confirmed that 153 people had been killed, among them 11 residents of a care home for the elderly, that was flooded in the north-central district of Kurunegala on Saturday afternoon, police said.