At least 644 people have died and 183 remain missing due to the ongoing disaster situation triggered by Cyclone Ditwah and subsequent floods and landslides across Sri Lanka, according to the latest situation report issued by the Disaster Management Centre (DMC).
The report, released at 5.00 pm on December 14, shows that a total of 1,344,898 people belonging to 385,093 families have been affected islandwide.
The highest number of fatalities has been reported from Kandy District, where 237 deaths have been confirmed, followed by Nuwara Eliya with 89 deaths and Badulla with 88 deaths. Kurunegala recorded 61 deaths, while Puttalam reported 36 fatalities.
The DMC said 6,163 houses have been fully damaged, while a further 112,171 houses have suffered partial damage across affected districts.
Kandy District has recorded the highest number of fully damaged houses at 2,012, while Puttalam reported 632 fully damaged houses. Nuwara Eliya, Kurunegala and Badulla have also reported extensive housing damage.
A total of 766 safety centres have been established across the country to accommodate displaced families. As of the latest update, 22,638 families comprising 70,359 people are currently sheltered at these centres.
Nuwara Eliya District recorded the highest number of displaced persons in safety centres, with 19,750 people, followed by Badulla with 19,409 and Kandy with 17,437.
The Disaster Management Centre said relief operations, search and rescue efforts, and damage assessments are continuing in coordination with district authorities, the tri-forces and other relevant agencies, while affected residents are urged to remain vigilant as adverse weather conditions persist in several areas. (Newswire)
