Cyclone Ditwah: CM Pinarayi Vijayan urges Centre to aid stranded Malayalis

Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has intervened to help Malayalis and others stranded in Sri Lanka due to the impact of Cyclone Ditwah. He has written a letter to Union Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar. In the letter, the Chief Minister stated that around sixty Malayalis are stranded at the Colombo Airport.

The intervention came after reports emerged that people, including Malayalis travelling from Saudi Arabia to Kerala, were stuck at the airport because of the cyclone.

NORKA had earlier informed that stranded Indian citizens in Sri Lanka could contact the emergency help desk set up by the Indian High Commission at Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport. Indians needing help at any airport or anywhere else in Sri Lanka may also contact the number +94 773727832 (available on WhatsApp as well). The High Commission is providing essential assistance, including food and drinking water, to Indian passengers stranded at Colombo Airport.

With the situation in the country continuing to worsen, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has declared a state of emergency. The decision came following an all-party meeting held on Friday. The doctors’ trade union had written to Dissanayake requesting the declaration of a state of emergency. It is considered necessary to help coordinate relief operations effectively.