Pakistan Navy rescues Sri Lankans stranded after deadly floods

• Death toll from Cyclone Ditwah-triggered floods, landslides in Sri Lanka has risen to more than 355, with at least 366 missing
• A Z-9 helicopter from Pakistan Navy Ship ‘Saif’ rescued a Sri Lankan family stranded on a rooftop on a Colombo suburb for days

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s navy on Monday said it had conducted a rescue operation in Colombo to evacuate a Sri Lankan family stranded on a rooftop for five days due to floods and moved them to a safe location.

Last week, Cyclone Ditwah, packing strong winds and heavy rain, brought the island nation’s worst floods in a decade, triggering landslides in the hilly central region and killing more than 355 people, with at least 366 still missing.

A Z-9 helicopter from Pakistan Navy Ship ‘Saif’ took part in the rescue operation as part of ongoing Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) efforts in the flooded Kotikawatta area on the suburbs of Colombo.

“During search and rescue operation a stranded family for the last five days, including a seven-month-old infant, were safely recovered from a rooftop,” Pakistan’s navy said in a statement.

“Subsequently, the evacuated family was transported to a safe location in coordination with local authorities.”

Pakistan’s navy has been assisting Sri Lankan authorities in relief operations, with the helicopter crew airlifting food and emergency supplies to people stranded in marooned areas.

People salvaged belongings from flooded homes along the banks of the Kelani river near Colombo, the capital, according to visuals shown by Reuters.

Sri Lankan officials said train and flight services resumed after being disrupted last week, although schools stayed closed. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake called it the “largest and most challenging” natural disaster in Sri Lanka’s history.

It is the worst disaster to hit the tropical island nation in two decades. The losses and damage are the most severe since the 2004 Asian tsunami, which killed around 31,000 people and left more than a million homeless.