Two British women from London are trapped and running out of supplies in Sri Lanka's mountainous tea region after devastating landslides triggered by Cyclone Ditwah, as the disaster's death toll across Asia surpasses 1,100.
A Terrifying Ordeal in the Mountains
Melanie Watters, 54, and Janine Reid, 55, were on a driving tour through central Sri Lanka last Thursday when the cyclone struck with catastrophic force. Travelling from Kandy, their journey came to a sudden halt when the road ahead was engulfed, witnessing a bus being swept over a cliff edge.
Their own vehicle became stuck in a ditch, perilously close to being washed away. Forced to shelter inside overnight as conditions deteriorated, the friends and their local driver eventually found refuge at a nearby tea plantation in the Pussellawa area. However, they are now critically low on food, water, and fuel, with all access roads rendered impassable by landslides and flooding.
Frantic Pleas for Help from the UK
The situation has prompted desperate calls for assistance from Ms Watters' daughter, Katie Beeching, who is herself nine months pregnant. Despite repeated contact with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), she claims to have been told the UK government has no plan to facilitate an evacuation.
"I said, 'This is your job.' And he said, 'It isn't our responsibility,'" Beeching recounted of her conversations. She emphasised the dire circumstances: "There are literally two British nationals on their own, no food, water, fuel, no way in or out."
Beeching, who has professional experience liaising with the Foreign Office from her work with an NGO and the National Crime Agency, expressed dismay at the lack of action. She also stated she has been unable to speak directly with the UK's High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Andrew Patrick.
Contrasting International Response and Mounting Toll
The plight of the two women stands in contrast to operations conducted by other nations. Indian authorities successfully evacuated the last of over 330 of its stranded nationals from Sri Lanka on Monday, using Chetak helicopters from the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. The Indian Air Force has also assisted Sri Lankan search operations in inaccessible areas.
The death toll from Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka alone has reached 465, with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake describing it as the "largest and most challenging natural disaster in our history." The overall fatalities from related flooding across Asia now exceed 1,100.
Beeching reported that her mother and friend, who began their holiday on 21 November and were due to return this Wednesday, have maintained only intermittent communication. They had heeded advice to drive rather than take a train through the mountains, a decision that placed them directly in the path of the worst-hit region.
"They can hear helicopters flying over," Beeching said, "but they're apparently retrieving bodies." She has been informed by Sri Lankan tourist police that the military, expected days ago, has still not reached their location.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has been approached for comment regarding the case and its evacuation policies for British nationals caught in the disaster.
