Jakarta, CNN Indonesia --

At least 334 people have been confirmed dead across Sri Lanka, as authorities continue to battle rising floodwaters in parts of the capital, Colombo, after Cyclone Ditwah left a trail of destruction.

In an update on Sunday (November 30), the Disaster Management Center (DMC) stated that nearly 400 people were still missing. The DMC also warned that heavy rains brought by Typhoon Ditwah were expected to continue lashing the island nation in the coming days.

As reported by Sri Lanka's Daily Mirror, among those missing were five Navy personnel who were last seen trying to stop the overflowing water flow at the Navy sub-station in Chalai Lagoon, northeast of the country.

According to DMC data, this extreme weather system has destroyed nearly 15,000 homes across the country, forcing nearly 44,000 people to evacuate to state-run temporary shelters,

More than 24,000 Sri Lankan police, army and air force personnel are still trying to reach families trapped by the floods.

Sri Lanka is still struggling to cope with the impact of the cyclone. Several settlements are buried under mud. Communications have also been disrupted, and some areas have yet to report any updates.

The DMC said that the northern part of Colombo is also facing major flooding, as the water level in the Kelani River continues to rise.

"Although the cyclone has left us, heavy rains upstream have now flooded low-lying areas along the banks of the Kelani River," a DMC official said, as reported by Al Jazeera, Sunday (30/11)

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake declared a state of emergency on Saturday (29/11) to deal with the impact of the cyclone and appealed for international assistance.

India was the first country to respond, sending relief supplies and two helicopters with crews to carry out rescue missions. Japan also said it would send a team to assess urgent needs and promised further assistance.

Although the rains have subsided across the island, the DMC reports that some roads in the worst-affected central province remain inaccessible. In total, more than 20,000 homes have been destroyed, and a total of 833,000 people are in need of assistance after being displaced by the floods.

Sri Lankan officials report that about a third of the country remains without electricity or clean water due to collapsed power lines and flooded water purification facilities. Internet connections have also been disrupted.

The cyclone was Sri Lanka's deadliest natural disaster since 2017, when floods and landslides killed more than 200 people.

(wiw)