Sri Lanka and Indonesia deploy militaries as Asia floods death toll passes 1,000 | Asia Pacific

Sri Lanka and Indonesia deployed military personnel to help victims of devastating floods that killed more than 1,000 people in four Asian countries.

Millions of people have been affected by a combination of tropical cyclones and heavy monsoon rains in Sri Lanka, parts of Indonesia’s Sumatra region, Thailand and Malaysia in recent days.

According to the national disaster agency, 502 people died and 508 people are missing in Indonesia. The death toll in Sri Lanka reached 355, 366 of whom were missing, and 170 dead in Thailand. Three deaths were reported in Malaysia.

“We hope the worst is over,” Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto said during a visit to North Sumatra province on Monday, adding that the government was focused on providing aid.

Three warships and two hospital ships, as well as aircraft, were also sent to carry aid and assistance to the worst-hit areas, where rescue efforts were hampered by blocked roads, collapsed bridges and disruptions in communication lines. Some areas were cut off from response teams.

The flood was Indonesia’s deadliest natural disaster since the 2018 earthquake and subsequent tsunami killed more than 2,000 people in Sulawesi.

The flood has inundated homes, inundated farmland and triggered landslides across the region, but the true extent of the damage has yet to emerge. Some citizens waited to be rescued by holding on to trees or on the roofs.

Sri Lanka declared a state of emergency and appealed for international assistance following cyclone Ditwah, which forced the evacuation of 148,000 people to temporary shelters.

Floodwaters in the capital Colombo reached their peak overnight and there were hopes that the waters would begin to recede as the rain stopped. Some shops and offices began to reopen, but the full extent of the damage remained unclear.

In Ma Oya, just north of the capital, Hasitha Wijewardena said she was struggling to clean up after the flood. “The water has receded, but the house is now full of mud,” he told local journalists, appealing for military aid.

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who declared a state of emergency to deal with the disaster, vowed to rebuild. “We are facing the largest and most challenging natural disaster in our history,” he said in his speech to the country. “Surely, we will build a better nation than the one that existed before.”

The loss and damage is the worst seen in Sri Lanka since the devastating Asian tsunami in 2004, which killed nearly 31,000 people and left more than 1 million homeless.

Rain had eased in Sri Lanka on Sunday afternoon, but low-lying areas of the capital remained flooded and authorities were preparing for a major relief operation.

Military helicopters were deployed to airlift stranded people and distribute food, but one of them crashed just north of Colombo on Sunday evening.

Selvi, 46, who lives in Colombo’s Wennawatte suburb, left her flooded home on Sunday with four bags full of clothes and valuables. “My house is completely flooded. I don’t know where to go, but I hope there is a safe shelter where I can take my family,” he said.

Thailand’s deputy prime minister, Thamanat Prompow, visited Hat Yai, one of the worst-hit areas, on Monday and said provincial water and electricity authorities had been ordered to immediately restart services and solar lamps had been distributed.

Local media reported that 80% of people in Hat Yai returned to their homes from evacuation centers to assess the damage, and rescue and cleaning operations continued.

People in Hat Yai are being urged to register to receive compensation of 9,000 baht (£215) from the government, while interest-free loans of 100,000 baht will also be provided.

The region’s monsoon season often brings heavy rains that can cause landslides and flash floods, but recent flooding in Southeast Asia was worsened by a rare tropical storm that formed in the Strait of Malacca.

Human-caused climate disruption has increased the occurrence of the most intense and destructive tropical cyclones, but the overall annual number has remained unchanged globally. This is because warming oceans provide more energy and produce stronger storms. Extreme precipitation from tropical cyclones has increased significantly as warm air holds more water vapor.