New Delhi, Nov. 30 -- The death toll from Cyclone Ditwah, which triggered catastrophic floods and landslides across Sri Lanka, has soared to 334 confirmed fatalities, making it the worst natural disaster to strike the island nation in two decades, surpassing the impact of the 2004 Asian tsunami in terms of immediate damage and casualties. The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) reports that approximately 400 people remain missing, and over 1.3 million people across the island have been severely affected by the record-breaking rainfall.

The full extent of the calamity is only now being revealed as relief workers manage to clear roads blocked by fallen trees and mudslides, particularly in the hardest-hit central region, including areas like K...