Asian floods toll surges past 1300, millions displaced
While the death toll in floods and landslides in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand exceeds 1,300 and approximately 1,000 people are missing, emergency teams are racing to reach survivors.
Days of heavy monsoon rains have flooded large areas, leaving thousands of people stranded and many clinging to rooftops and trees, waiting for help.
Officials said that at least 1,303 people died in floods and landslides, with 753 people confirmed dead in Indonesia, 410 in Sri Lanka and 181 in Thailand.
In Indonesia, the country most affected by the fire, rescue teams had difficulty reaching villages on the island of Sumatra, where roads were eroded and bridges collapsed.
At least 650 people remain missing, according to the country’s National Disaster Management Agency.
Helicopters and boats have been deployed, but officials warn that worsening weather conditions and damaged infrastructure are slowing operations.
Floods and landslides in North Sumatra have washed away millions of cubic meters of felled timber, raising public concern that illegal logging may have contributed to the disaster, officials said.
The lush forest area of Batang Toru has turned into a wasteland of broken logs and shattered houses. The roads disappeared and were replaced by rivers of mud.
“This is not only a natural disaster, but also a man-made crisis,” said Rianda Purba of the Indonesian Environmental Forum, an activist group.
“Deforestation and uncontrolled development have destroyed Batang Toru’s resilience. Without urgent repairs and stricter conservation measures, these floods will become the new normal.”
A week after floods and landslides in West Sumatra, survivors were still waiting for news from their missing loved ones.
Zahari Sutra was carrying photographs of his missing wife and two daughters, aged four and two, as he sought help from rescuers in Sikumbang village in Agam district.
“Other victims were found… why not my family?”
The 38-year-old farmer said he dropped his motorcycle and ran to higher ground last Thursday when rising waters blocked the road to his home.
He said the strong current swallowed his house. He ran through the water screaming for his wife and daughters, but there was only silence.
When darkness fell, she found her eldest daughter, five years old, covered in mud but safe. Fearing further flooding, Sutra clung to a lychee tree with her daughter until morning, when the full scope of the disaster was revealed: entire houses were either destroyed or buried under tons of mud.
Military-led rescue teams in Sri Lanka are searching flood-ravaged areas for 336 people still missing after Cyclone Ditwah, the Disaster Management Center said.
Roads were closed due to landslides and bridges collapsed, making transportation difficult.
In Kandy, residents were short of running water, relying instead on bottled water collected from natural sources. Officials warned that conditions could worsen as more rain is expected in the coming days.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake described the disaster as the worst in Sri Lanka’s recent history and said it was still impossible to determine the full extent of losses.
He warned that the death toll was likely much higher than current figures.
He said government agencies are working to reach isolated communities.
Cleaning efforts have begun in the streets and buildings in southern Thailand following the severe floods that affected more than 1.5 million households and 3.9 million people.
Authorities are working to repair infrastructure, including water and electricity.
Thailand’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said it would set up public kitchens to provide freshly cooked food to affected residents.
Government spokesman Siripong Angkasakulkiat said the first portion of compensation payments would be distributed to 26,000 people.
