The extreme weather system has destroyed more than 15,000 homes, sending 78,000 people to state-run temporary shelters, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake invoked emergency laws, granting him sweeping powers to deal with the devastation after a week of torrential rain across the island.
“We have 132 confirmed dead and another 176 missing,” DMC Director-General Sampath Kotuwegoda said, adding that relief efforts had been bolstered with the deployment of the army, navy and air force.
The military rescued 69 bus passengers on Saturday, including a German tourist, who were marooned in the Anuradhapura district after a 24-hour operation involving a helicopter and naval boats.
One of the passengers, speaking to reporters at a local hospital, said navy sailors had helped them climb onto the roof of a nearby home after using ropes to help them safely wade through flood waters.
“We were very lucky… while we were on the roof, a part of it collapsed… three women fell into the water, but they were helped back onto the roof,” Shantha said.
A helicopter had to abort an initial rescue attempt as the downdraft from the rotors threatened to blow away the roof they were perched on, he said.
They were later rescued by naval boats.
Roads in the central district of Badulla remained inaccessible, leaving many villages cut off and relief supplies unable to get through.
“We lost two people in our village… others are sheltering at a temple and a house that is still standing,” said Saman Kumara from the village of Maspanna in Badulla, one of the worst-affected districts.
“We can’t leave the village and no one can come in because all roads are blocked by earth slips. There is no food and we are short of clean water,” he told media website News Center by telephone.
Officials said about a third of the country was without electricity and running water as power lines had collapsed and water purification facilities were inundated. Internet connections were also disrupted in many areas.
Cyclone Ditwah moved away from the island on Saturday and was heading towards neighbouring India to the north. (AFP)
