Death toll in Sri Lanka rises to 153 after Cyclone Ditwah

By Uditha Jayasinghe

MALWANA, Sri Lanka, Nov 29 (Reuters) - At least 153 people have been killed in Sri Lanka after landslides and flooding caused by Cyclone Ditwah, officials said on Saturday, with 191 others missing and more than half a million affected nationwide.

More than 78,000 people have been moved to nearly 800 relief centres, mostly set up in schools, the Disaster Management Centre said.

Thousands of police, navy personnel and army troops are distributing food, clearing roads and moving trapped families to safety.

WORST FLOODING IN A DECADE

Those who have found refuge in relief centres include Mallika Kumari, whose home was quickly submerged up to the roof on Friday. She bundled her three children into a rented lorry with her husband and spent the night by the roadside.

Kumari and her 554 neighbours live alongside the Kelani River in Malwana, 20 km (12 miles) from Colombo, and face the worst flooding in a decade.

Rescue boats are transporting stranded families, including Kumari, who hoped to collect her children's clothes and school books from her home.

"I first heard about the flood warning on TV but we never expected the river to overflow so quickly. We just rushed out of the house without anything," Kumari told Reuters.

"We haven't even had breakfast. Two of my sons have caught the flu. I have to get them medication. I've brought a few garbage bags to collect their clothes."

In the rush, Kumari left behind her cat, which was later picked up by a navy boat and brought to dry land.

HOMES UNDER WATER AND WITHOUT POWER

The flooding in Malwana and other low-lying areas near Colombo has left most homes under water and without power, authorities said.

Meteorological authorities have forecast continued rains over the weekend, raising fears of further flooding in already waterlogged regions.

Some residents opted to remain in the upper floors of partially submerged homes, protecting their belongings.

Local businesses, including pharmacies, supermarkets and fabric shops are inundated, heightening concerns over financial losses as shop owners worry about long-term recovery.

At the Dalugala Thakiya Mosque, volunteers prepared rice parcels with chicken and dhal curry for flood victims, aiming to increase capacity by Sunday.

"We are getting more requests for food because people who work daily jobs cannot find work and are running low on savings," said Risham Ahmed, one of the meal organisers.

"They are worried about how to piece their lives back together."

(Reporting by Uditha Jayasinghe, Editing by Timothy Heirtage)