Torrential rains and floods triggered by Cyclone Ditwah have killed 153 people across Sri Lanka so far, with another 191 still missing, the country’s Disaster Management Centre (DCM) said on Saturday.

The DMC director general, Sampath Kotuwegoda, said relief operations were under way with 78,000 people moved to nearly 800 state-run welfare centres after their homes were destroyed by the week-long heavy rains.

Among the dead were 11 residents of a care home for elderly people that was flooded in the north-central district of Kurunegala district on Saturday afternoon.

The weather system was moving away from the island towards India, the DMC said, but it had already left widespread destruction with more than 500,000 people affected nationwide.

“Relief operations with the help of the arm

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