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An aerial view shows houses partially submerged on the outskirts of Colombo ","copyright":"AFP via Getty Images","credit":null,"alt":"Sri Lanka","url":"https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/12/02/5/16/GettyImages-2248422321.jpg","id":null,"mid":6427488,"uid":4563,"smartframe":null,"extra":{"imageSize":{"width":2460,"height":1640},"sizes":{"3:2":{"trimData":{"top":0,"right":0,"bottom":0,"left":0},"cropData":{"x":0,"y":0,"width":2460,"height":1640.0000000000002,"rotate":0,"scaleX":1,"scaleY":1}}}},"localCaption":" An aerial view shows houses partially submerged on the outskirts of Colombo "},"type":"image"}],"id":"auto-image-gallery","isImage":true,"title":"Death toll rises to 366 as Cyclone Ditwah devastates Sri Lanka"} An aerial view shows houses partially submerged on the outskirts of Colombo ( AFP via Getty Images ) Cyclone Ditwah has caused widespread devastation in Sri Lanka , with the death toll rising to 366 and 367 people still missing due to severe rain and flooding. Over one million people have been impacted, with nearly 218,000 displaced into 1,275 shelters, as satellite images show the Kelani River overflowing and submerging vast low-lying areas. Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake declared it the nation's "largest and most challenging natural disaster," exceeding the 2004 tsunami , and appealed for international aid. Over 24,000 police, army, and air force personnel, supported by Indian aircraft, are conducting extensive rescue operations, including airlifts, with many residents losing everything. The disaster has dealt a severe blow to Sri Lanka's fragile economy and tourism sector, while the same cyclone system also caused significant displacement and deaths in Indonesia. In full Satellite images reveal scale of flood devastation in Sri Lanka as 366 killed More bulletins
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