Over 60 Keralites among 300 Indian passengers stranded in Sri Lanka airport

More than 60 Keralites are among nearly 300 Indian passengers stranded at Sri Lanka’s Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo after Cyclone Ditwah brought large-scale disruption to flight operations across the island nation.

As passengers remained stuck for a third continuous day with limited access to food, drinking water and basic facilities, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan wrote to Union Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar seeking urgent intervention from the Union government to facilitate their return. In the letter, the chief minister said the situation at the Colombo airport had turned increasingly distressing, particularly for transit passengers who had only planned a brief stopover in Sri Lanka before proceeding to Kerala or other destinations.

Many of the stranded Indians, including a large group of Malayalis returning from Saudi Arabia on Sri Lankan Airlines, were left without adequate facilities as torrential rain and strong winds linked to the cyclone battered wide parts of Sri Lanka.

Vijayan told the Union Minister that the Kerala government was ready to extend all necessary assistance and was awaiting the immediate response. "We are deeply concerned about the condition of the people who are stranded. The government of Kerala stands ready to provide all necessary support and awaits your kind urgent response and action,” he wrote.

A group of Malayali passengers released a video message from the airport appealing for urgent rescue, highlighting the lack of proper food, drinking water and medical assistance. They said many families, including children and elderly travellers, had little clarity on when they would be able to board flights home.

The Indian High Commission in Colombo moved quickly to address the crisis. Acting Indian High Commissioner Dr Satyanjal Pandey visited the stranded passengers, distributed food and drinking water, and assured them that arrangements were being made for their early return. The High Commission posted photographs from the airport on its X handle. Acting HC assured them of all possible assistance. He conveyed that the Government of India will facilitate their swift travel back to India.

A registration link for stranded Indians was shared by the mission, along with an emergency helpline number — +94 773727832 — that is also available on WhatsApp.

Rescuers move people to safety in a submerged area of Colombo, following flooding, on Sunday. AP

The High Commission said it was "facilitating the swift return home of the Indian passengers stranded in Sri Lanka.” "Evacuation flights by the Indian Air Force and commercial airlines are being arranged. Every stranded Indian will reach home at the earliest,” the mission posted on Sunday.

According to NORKA, the state agency dealing with non-resident Keralites, Indian citizens stranded in Sri Lanka can now access support from an emergency assistance desk set up by the High Commission at the Colombo airport. Essential supplies were being distributed as the passengers waited for further instructions on travel arrangements.

An aerial view shows houses partially submerged in floodwaters after heavy rainfall in Kaduwela on the outskirts of Colombo. AFP

The disruptions were triggered after Cyclone Ditwah caused extensive rainfall, flooding and wind damage across Sri Lanka.

The adverse weather forced the cancellation, diversion or delay of several flights, including those operated by IndiGo and Sri Lankan Airlines.

On Friday alone, five flights bound for Colombo — three from the Middle East, one from Malaysia and one from Sri Lanka — were diverted to Trivandrum International Airport as conditions worsened.

Sri Lankan authorities have been struggling to restore normalcy as the cyclone’s impact continues to be felt across the island.

Kerala officials said the situation called for proactive coordination between agencies in both countries to ensure the safe return of the travellers, many of whom were left in the terminal without proper communication from airline authorities.

They noted that most passengers had completed long-haul journeys from Gulf countries only to find themselves stranded at Colombo with no clarity on further travel.