Sri Lanka rescuers battle floods to save dozens from bus stranded on Kalawewa bridge

Security forces have rescued at least 40 people, including a foreign woman, after they were forced to climb onto the roof of a nearby house when their bus became trapped by rising floodwaters on the Kalawewa Bridge along the Anuradhapura to Puttalam road.

The bus, which had around 70 passengers on board, got stranded yesterday (November 28) on the bridge as water levels increased rapidly due to the severe weather.

According to the Sri Lanka Navy Spokesman, the effort to rescue the remaining passengers is still in progress.

The Sri Lanka Navy launched a large-scale rescue mission to safely evacuate everyone affected. However, attempts made last night were not successful because water levels kept rising and conditions became too dangerous.

To strengthen the operation, additional teams from the Navy’s Active Craft Squadron, the Navy Diving Unit, and the Special Boat Squadron were deployed to the location.

Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is closely watching the rescue mission.

Video released this morning (November 29) shows him monitoring live footage of the ongoing operation as teams continue their efforts to bring all passengers to safety.