‘We have to rebuild from scratch’: Sri Lankans relive the devastation of Cyclone Ditwah

Many uncertain about the future after losing everything in the country's deadliest natural disaster for years

When the rains began, Layani Rasika Niroshani was not worried. The 36-year-old mother of two was used to the heavy monsoon showers that drench Sri Lanka's hilly central region of Badulla every year. But as it kept pounding down without stopping, the family started to feel jittery.

Some relocated to a relative's house, but her brother and his wife decided to stay behind to collect the valuables. As they were inside, a landslide hit the family home.