 "Image courtesy: @DrSJaishankar/X")
India delivered 21 tonnes of relief to Sri Lanka on Saturday under Operation Sagar Bandhu as the country reels under deadly floods, displacing several people across the country.
“In the wake of the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah across Sri Lanka, India swiftly launched Operation Sagar Bandhu to bolster relief efforts,” the Indian Air Force said in a social media post.
The Indian Air Force promptly deployed one C-130 and one IL-76 from Hindon Air Base on the night of intervening night of Friday and Saturday, airlifting 21 tonnes of relief material along with over 80 NDRF personnel and eight tonnes of equipment. Essential rations and critical supplies have been delivered to support affected communities, it said.
The operation was launched by India on Friday for Sri Lanka, as over 100 people died in devastating floods triggered by Cyclone Ditwah. The first tranche of relief materials was handed over after the consignments were transported by the Indian Navy’s aircraft carrier INS Vikrant and frontline ship INS Udaigiri to the island nation.
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The Disaster Management Centre announced Saturday that Cyclone Ditwah’s torrential rains and flooding have claimed 123 lives across Sri Lanka, with another 130 people still unaccounted for.
Director General Sampath Kotuwegoda said relief efforts are ongoing, noting that 43,995 residents have been evacuated to government-run shelters after their homes were devastated by a week of relentless downpours.
Although the weather system is now moving away from Sri Lanka and toward India, the DMC said it has already caused extensive damage across the island.
“Relief operations with the help of the armed forces are underway,” Kotuwegoda told reporters in Colombo.
The effects of the weather system have been felt since Monday, although the cyclone made landfall on Wednesday, triggering record rainfall across the island.
With inputs from agencies