India Rushes Relief to Lanka as Toll Rises to Over 150
Also, INS Sukanya, carrying more humanitarian aid, has left Visakhapatnam and is expected to reach Sri Lanka soon, officials said.
New Delhi: The Indian High Commission set up emergency desks in Colombo and rushed relief to Sri Lanka after Cyclone Ditwah killed over 150 people, and displaced nearly 50,000 with 176 missing. Meanwhile, rain triggered by Cyclone Ditwah lashed coastal areas and Cauvery delta districts in the state on Saturday, with Ramanathapuram and Nagapattinam districts bearing the brunt. Cyclone Ditwah lay centred over the Vedaranyam coast in Tamil Nadu's Nagapattinam district, according to the latest bulletin from the IMD.
India has launched Operation Sagar Bandhu to support Sri Lanka with rescue, relief, and humanitarian assistance. Early on Saturday, an Indian Air Force C-130J aircraft carrying about 12 tonnes of aid, including tents, tarpaulins, blankets, hygiene kits and ready-to-eat food, landed in Colombo. Shortly after, an IL-76 aircraft departed with paramilitary personnel and nine tonnes of additional relief material. Two Urban Search and Rescue teams consisting of 80 NDRF personnel were also dispatched.
“A total of around 27 tonnes of relief material delivered by air and sea. More is on the way!” External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar said.
The IAF, in a post on X, said, “The IAF promptly deployed one C-130 and one IL-76 from Hindan Air Base on the night of 28/29 Nov 2025, airlifting 21 tonnes of relief material along with over 80 NDRF personnel and 8 tonnes of equipment to Colombo.” Essential rations and critical supplies have been handed over to support affected communities. “Reaffirming the spirit of Neighbourhood First, India stands firmly with Sri Lanka in this hour of need,” the IAF added.
Under Operation Sagar Bandhu, the first tranche of relief was delivered by the Indian Navy through aircraft carrier INS Vikrant and the frontline ship INS Udaigiri.
The NDRF contingent includes specialised search dogs for rescue operations. The personnel have been divided into two teams equipped with inflatable boats, hydraulic cutting and breaching tools, communication gear, first-aid kits and other essential rescue equipment to assist in flood-hit regions.
Sri Lanka is witnessing one of its worst natural disasters after Cyclone Ditwah triggered severe flooding and landslides, leaving extensive damage to infrastructure. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has declared a nationwide state of emergency. More than 50 people have been killed, and over 43,900 people from 12,313 families have been affected, according to Sri Lankan authorities.
Meanwhile, the NDRF has also deployed 14 teams across vulnerable coastal districts of Tamil Nadu—Villupuram, Chengalpattu, Tiruvallur, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai and Mayiladuthurai—in anticipation of the cyclone’s impact. Additional teams have been placed on standby for Puducherry, while 10 more are en route to Chennai from Pune and Vadodara.
