Security forces, backed by foreign teams and hundreds of volunteers have turned their search and rescue efforts in landslide and flood devastated areas, into clearing up operations, putting up roads and bridges trying to restore normalcy.
The death toll was placed at 474 and 356 others were declared missing by the Disaster Management Centre.
Over the past two days search teams were able to recover only a few of the bodies as some of the houses were buried about 30 to 40 feet below the surface. In some of the areas they were forced to call off their search operations.
Security forces were now concentrating on clearing up roads, building bridges and restoring water supplies with the assistance of the respective state officials.
A couple of key roads were open to the public again on Wednesday, but the restoration of the rail tracks, mainly on the main line leading to the upcountry is likely to take further time as the tracks have been washed away in some of the locations.
The Army with the help of the Road Development Authority (RDA) commenced putting up a temporary bridge in Thabbowa in place of the bridge that was washed away.
The bridge located on the Puttalam – Anuradhapura road was completely washed away last Saturday.
The bridge is to be completed within three to four days.
Meanwhile, UK has announced £675,000 ($890,000) in urgent humanitarian support to families affected by Cyclone Ditwah.
The assistance will be delivered through humanitarian partners on the ground, including the Red Cross, UN agencies and local civil society organisations. It will provide immediate relief to those who have lost homes and livelihoods.
The funding will enable humanitarian partners to deliver essential supplies including shelter materials, clean water and sanitation facilities, to meet the immediate needs of affected families, the British High Commission in Colombo said.
During a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Herath yesterday, Acting British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Theresa O’Mahony reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to supporting recovery efforts following extreme weather conditions caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
Pix by Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe
The Cyclonic Storm “Ditwah” moved further north from Trincomalee today evening leaving a trail of destruction including more than 90 deaths, over 100 missing and tens of thousands displaced, officials said.
A third rescue attempt to save 28 people trapped on the rooftop of a farm building in Vithikuliya, Nikaweratiya, has failed due to the dangerous water surge from the Deduru Oya.
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