Sri Lanka asks for Chinese help to build cyclone-damaged bridges, rail tracks

Colombo | Sri Lanka on Monday called for urgent assistance from China to restore bridges and railway tracks damaged by Cyclone Ditwah.

The cyclone hit the island nation in November, causing widespread flooding, landslides and severe infrastructure collapse, and severely strained the country's disaster-response capacity.

Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, in a meeting with Chinese Ambassador Qi Zhenhong, called for urgent assistance in rebuilding bridges and rail tracks damaged by the cyclone.

He also urged China to set up EV charging points, as Sri Lanka had seen an increasing number of Chinese EVs imported to the country, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The Chinese envoy promised assistance to help Sri Lanka recover and rebuild.

In the immediate aftermath of the cyclone, China made a cash donation of USD 1 million and 10 million Yuan worth of relief goods.

The Chinese Red Cross Society donated USD 100,000 to the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society for relief work.

As many as 638 people have died, and 175 are still missing since November 16, as landslides, floods and rainfall caused widespread destruction in Sri Lanka, according to the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) in Colombo.