TN brings back 177 stranded people from cyclone-hit Sri Lanka, Stalin offers full support for relief
Chennai, Nov 30 (LatestNewsX) – Tamil Nadu arranged for 177 Indians stranded in cyclone‑devastated Sri Lanka to board return flights on Sunday. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said the state was ready to team up with the Union government to support relief and rehabilitation on the island.
The passengers, which included 60 women and four children, arrived in Tamil Nadu early that morning after being trapped in Sri Lanka for several days amid the chaos left by Cyclone Ditwah. Flooding and wind tore through the country, shutting down travel and killing over a hundred people.
Stalin expressed deep sorrow for the humanitarian crisis unfolding across Sri Lanka and said the people of Tamil Nadu “stand firmly with the people of Sri Lanka in their huge suffering”. He noted that many districts had been battered, thousands displaced, and essential infrastructure damaged, widening the tragedy. He also sent heartfelt condolences to families that lost loved ones in the cyclone and acknowledged the severity of the crisis.
“Neighbouring Sri Lanka has witnessed a massive disaster due to Cyclone Ditwah. The Sri Lankan people are suffering, as more than a hundred people have died and several areas have been severely affected,” Stalin said, reaffirming the state’s willingness to help. He added that the government was fully prepared to work with the Centre in delivering relief.
Tamil Nadu will provide essential supplies such as food, medicine and other emergency provisions to the hardest hit areas. To streamline coordination and speed up aid delivery, Stalin directed Chief Secretary N. Muruganandam to set up a high‑level committee of senior officials. The committee will coordinate with Union agencies to dispatch relief materials and monitor ongoing needs in Sri Lanka.
The Chief Minister emphasised that Tamil Nadu has always stood with Sri Lanka in times of distress and will keep doing so, committing continued humanitarian assistance as the neighbour faces one of its worst natural disasters in recent years.
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