Sri Lanka declares 'state of emergency' after Cyclone Ditwah kills at least 120

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Saturday declared a 'state of emergency' amid damage caused by Cyclone Ditwah, which has killed at least 120 people, and led to 130 others missing.

The official gazette from the island nation's government came after an all-party meeting on Friday, in which the Opposition leaders called for an emergency to be declared. The doctors' trade union also echoed this in a letter to the government.

The declaration is expected to speed up the process of rescue operations and distributing aid to those affected. 

The cyclone has left a devastating trail of destruction in its wake, leaving several homeless, triggering landslides and floods, majorly disrupting civilian life, and rendering certain areas of the island nation inaccessible.

Over 43,000 people have been affected, most of whom have been shifted to welfare centres after their houses were either partially or completely destroyed.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday said that the cyclone continues to move in a north-northwestward direction, and is expected to make landfall near the coasts of southeast India by Sunday.

The IMD has also forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall at many places—with the possibility of extremely heavy rainfall (more than 200mm) at isolated spots—in Tamil Nadu and eastern Andhra Pradesh. Heavy rainfall has also been forecast for parts of Kerala and Telangana as well.

Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar announced on Saturday that two Chetak helicopters from India's INS Vikrant had left for rescue operations in Sri Lanka. The Chetaks contain a mix of Indian and Sri Lankan air force personnel.

This is the latest move in India's 'Operation Sagar Bandhu', which earlier saw Indian Air Force (IAF) planes dispatch around 12 tonnes of humanitarian aid—including tents, tarpaulins, blankets, hygiene kits, and ready-to-eat food items—to Colombo.