COLOMBO – A Sri Lankan family was trapped above a home swallowed by muddy floodwaters, with a seven-month-old baby cradled tightly against the storm amid cyclone Ditwah’s deadly assault.
Pakistan Navy revealed that its crew had pulled off breathtaking rescue in flood-ravaged Colombo, airlifting Sri Lankan family, including a seven-month-old baby, who had been stranded on a rooftop for an agonizing five days.
Sri Lanka has been reeling since last week, when the monstrous Cyclone Ditwah slammed into the island with ferocious winds and relentless rainfall. The cyclone unleashed the country’s most catastrophic floods in a decade, ripping through the central highlands, triggering deadly landslides, and leaving a horrifying toll: over 355 people confirmed dead and at least 366 still missing.
As the disaster deepened, Z-9 helicopter from Pakistan Navy Ship Saif surged into flooded Kotikawatta area on the outskirts of Colombo as part of ongoing Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief operations. Battling treacherous conditions, the helicopter crew spotted a family clinging to survival atop their home, completely cut off by rising waters.
The crew swooped in and rescued the entire family lifting them to safety. Pakistan Navy confirmed that the survivors were later transported to a secure location in coordination with Sri Lankan authorities. Pakistan’s naval forces have been heavily involved in the relief campaign, with helicopter teams delivering food and emergency supplies to desperate residents trapped in submerged communities.
Despite devastation, Sri Lankan officials reported that rail and air travel have now resumed after days of paralysis though schools remain shut amid the ongoing crisis.
