Thiruvananthapuram: More than 60 Keralites are stranded at Sri Lanka’s Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo after Cyclone Ditwah disrupted flight operations across the island nation. Nearly 300 Indian passengers who travelled on SriLankan Airlines from Saudi Arabia have reportedly been stuck at the airport for the past three days.

Seeking urgent intervention from the Centre to repatriate the stranded Indians, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday wrote to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, assuring that the state government will provide all necessary support.

The CM said many passengers have been stranded without adequate food, drinking water, or basic facilities and are in distress. He pointed out that several travellers had planned only a brief transit stop in Colombo en route to India or other destinations.

"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," the Chief Minister said in his letter.

In a video message, the group of stranded Keralites appealed to the government for assistance.

Meanwhile, Acting Indian High Commissioner Dr Satyanjal Pandey met the passengers at the airport and provided them with food and water on Saturday. He assured them that New Delhi would facilitate their swift return.

“Acting High Commissioner @DrSatyanjal met stranded Indian passengers at Bandaranaike International Airport, Colombo. Acting HC assured them of all possible assistance. He conveyed that the Govt of India will facilitate their swift travel back to India,” the Indian High Commission posted on X, along with photos from the airport.

The High Commission also shared a link for stranded passengers to register their details and said Indians in distress in Sri Lanka may contact the emergency helpline number +94 773727832 (also available on WhatsApp).

Several flights, including those operated by IndiGo and SriLankan Airlines, were cancelled, diverted, or delayed after Cyclone Ditwah wreaked havoc in Sri Lanka. On Friday alone, five flights to Colombo—three from the Middle East, one from Malaysia, and one from Sri Lanka—were diverted to Thiruvananthapuram International Airport due to adverse weather conditions.