Most deaths were caused by landslides triggered by more than 300mm of rainfall
\n COLOMBO
\nCyclone Ditwah swept northward across Sri Lanka on Friday, leaving 46 people dead and 23 missing amid widespread floods, with torrential rain and strong winds expected to cause more flooding in the next 12 hours.
\nMost deaths were caused by landslides triggered by more than 300mm (12 inches) of rainfall in the eastern and central regions, according to officials.
\nNearly 44,000 people were affected nationwide, and many sought refuge in schools and public shelters, according to the Disaster Management Center (DMC).
\nThe Irrigation Department said it expected the floods that have already affected countless areas across southern and eastern Sri Lanka, including many parts of the capital, Colombo, to spread even further.
\nThe Colombo Stock Exchange halted trading early, and schools and train services remained suspended. Military and police coordinated evacuations, including the airlifting of 13 people trapped on a bridge in Polonnaruwa, 220 km northeast of Colombo, the air force said.
\nNumerous families trapped on rooftops and one man stranded on top of a coconut tree were also airlifted to safety, air force footage released to media showed.
\nHeavy rains disrupted operations at Colombo\u2019s Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), forcing the diversion of 15 flights to airports including Trivandrum and Cochin in south India, Sri Lanka\u2019s Airport and Aviation Services said.
\nIndia delivered 6.5 metric tons of food aid to assist in relief efforts, the Indian High Commission in Colombo said as Cyclone Ditwah moved across Sri Lanka toward southern India. Over 20,000 police and military stepped up evacuations in multiple towns including the outskirts of Sri Lanka\u2019s largest city Colombo, after authorities warned of rising flood waters.
\n\u201cStrong winds are making the floods worse. We removed furniture from two nearby houses to a safer area, and now I\u2019m going to the shelter to stay with the rest of my family,\u201d said Mohammed Rumy, a 70-year-old resident of Colombo\u2019s Wellampitiya suburb.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Most deaths were caused by landslides triggered by more than 300mm of rainfall COLOMBO Cyclone Ditwah swept northward across Sri Lanka on Friday, leaving 46 people dead and 23 missing amid widespread floods, with torrential rain and strong winds expected to cause more flooding in the next 12 hours. Most deaths were caused by landslides […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":517352,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-517324","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n