Sri Lanka has declared a state of emergency and appealed for international help after the death toll from floods and landslides caused by Cyclone Ditva rose to 153, with another 191 missing. The storm has destroyed more than 20,000 homes, leaving more than 100,000 people homeless. Nearly 800,000 others have been evacuated due to the floods, the country's Disaster Management Center said.
The military and volunteers are involved in the rescue operations. After a 24-hour operation, the military today rescued 69 passengers from a bus stranded in the Anuradhapura district in northern Sri Lanka. Among the passengers was a German tourist.
India was the first to respond to the call for help and sent two planes with humanitarian aid and two transport helicopters with 22 rescuers.
Authorities said about a third of the island was without electricity or water supply due to damaged power lines and flooding of sewage treatment plants.
The cyclone headed towards neighboring India, where heavy rains and strong winds are expected in the coming days. 54 flights were canceled at Chennai airport.