New Delhi: India wrapped up the evacuation of its stranded nationals from Sri Lanka on Monday, even as New Delhi broadened its relief operations to support the island nation’s strained disaster-response system in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah.
Under Operation Sagar Bandhu, the final group of 104 Indian passengers who had been stuck at Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport were flown to Thiruvananthapuram aboard an Indian Air Force aircraft early in the morning, the Indian High Commission announced. The flight landed around 6:30 am, marking the completion of the repatriation effort.
In a statement, the mission said India has “significantly ramped up” support to Sri Lankan authorities, deploying air and ground resources across some of the worst-hit districts.
Indian naval Chetak helicopters operating from INS Vikrant have been lifting stranded residents to safety, while IAF aircraft have been combing regions such as Kotmale in the central highlands — an area devastated by landslides and cut off by flooded access roads.
Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), which arrived in Colombo on Sunday, immediately joined local agencies in rescue work at Kochikade. They have since been dispatched to the severely affected districts of Puttalam and Badulla, where flooding has displaced families and isolated entire communities. According to officials, the teams have been assisting marooned residents and ensuring safe evacuations.
Even as relief efforts expanded, Sri Lanka suffered fresh setbacks. The nation’s Air Force reported the death of a pilot after a Bell 212 helicopter crashed during a relief mission in Wennappuwa on the north-western coast. Preliminary accounts suggest the pilot attempted a water landing to avoid endangering large crowds gathered below. Five other officers on board remain in critical condition.
In a separate incident, the Sri Lanka Navy confirmed that five sailors who went missing during a rescue mission in Chundikulam in the north were found dead.
Sri Lanka continues to battle one of its worst natural disasters in recent memory. Cyclone Ditwah has triggered widespread flooding, landslides, and severe damage to infrastructure, leaving several districts inaccessible and overwhelming local response capabilities.
As of Sunday, authorities reported 334 fatalities, with 370 people still unaccounted for since extreme weather began battering the country on November 16.
With further rainfall forecast, both nations are expected to maintain close coordination as rescue and relief operations continue.
