Staff Reporter :
More than 150 people – including three Bangladeshi nationals – have been rescued in Sri Lanka in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah.
Joint operations by the Sri Lankan Air Force and Indian Air Force are still underway.
Working in coordination with the Sri Lankan Air Force, Chetak helicopters from INS Vikrant and MI-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force carried out extensive rescue missions, airlifting stranded individuals such as pregnant women, infants, and critically injured people.
Those rescued include citizens of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, Germany, Slovenia, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Poland, Belarus, Iran, Australia, and Pakistan.
“Three of them are Bangladeshi nationals,” a senior official told journalists on Tuesday. Following the widespread flooding, loss of life, and severe disruptions caused by Cyclone Ditwah, India launched Operation Sagar Bandhu on November 28 to provide urgent Search & Rescue and Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief (HADR) to Sri Lanka, its closest maritime neighbour.
As part of the effort and in coordination with Sri Lankan authorities, India delivered 9.5 tonnes of emergency rations from two Indian Navy ships in Colombo; deployed three Indian Air Force aircraft to airlift another 31.5 tonnes of relief materials – including tents, tarpaulins, blankets, hygiene kits, ready-to-eat food, medicines, surgical equipment, two BHISHM cubes, and a five-member medical team for on-site training; and sent 80 specialised Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
An additional 12 tonnes of relief supplies were dispatched aboard Indian Navy Ship Sukanya.
According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, a total of 53 tonnes of relief materials has been handed over so far.
Evacuation of Indian nationals trapped due to Cyclone Ditwah is also ongoing through special Indian Air Force flights and commercial aircraft, with over 2,000 stranded Indians already brought home.
Guided by its Neighbourhood First policy and Vision MAHASAGAR, India continues to act as the First Responder, standing firmly beside Sri Lanka during this crisis and supporting ongoing rescue, relief, and early recovery initiatives.
NDRF teams remain active in heavily affected and isolated areas across Sri Lanka, conducting search-and-rescue missions, assisting flood-hit families, and ensuring their immediate safety.
