Death toll in Indonesia floods passes 500

The death toll in the floods that hit Indonesia last week exceeded 500; Rescue teams are still struggling to reach affected areas.

Floods caused by a rare cyclone over the Strait of Malacca have hit three provinces and affected nearly 1.4 million people, according to the government’s disaster agency.

Another 500 people were missing and thousands were injured.

Indonesia is just one part of Asia hit by heavy rain and storms in recent days; Deaths are also reported in Thailand, Malaysia and Sri Lanka.

The Indonesian provinces of Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra were the areas most affected by the epidemic; thousands are still left without critical supplies.

Arini Amalia, a resident of Aceh’s Pidie Jaya Regency, told the BBC the floodwaters were “like a tsunami”.

“According to my grandmother, this is the worst, worst event in her life,” Amalia said.

Since many roads cannot be passed by large vehicles, aid workers are trying to reach people on foot and on motorcycles.

Photos taken from the region show bridges being dragged, roads covered with mud and rubble, and logs piled on top of each other.

At the landmark of West Sumatra’s Twin Bridges, where floodwaters had passed and deposited enormous amounts of mud and debris, Mariana watched excavators clear roads, hoping to find missing family members, including her 15-year-old son.

“I watch the excavators, I see how thick the mud is… I think about what my child will be like when he finds it.” he said. “Will he still be alive? My mother, my brother-in-law… Looking here, maybe their faces won’t even be recognized anymore.”

Many are still waiting for food aid, while some say they have not eaten for 2-3 days.

Maysanti, who lives in Central Tapanuli, one of the regions most affected by the epidemic in North Sumatra, told the BBC that aid workers were having difficulty reaching his area.

“Everything is gone; our food stocks are running out. We can’t eat,” he said. “Right now, there are even fights over noodles. We have run out of food, we need food and rice. Access to us has been completely cut off.”

He said he had to walk kilometers from his home for basic needs such as internet connection and clean water.

In Central Aceh, where local authorities have provided Starlink devices, thousands of people were seen lining up outside the regency office on Sunday night, hoping to contact loved ones or charge their mobile phones.

A resident calling Mar said, “There has been no signal for five days. We have been waiting since yesterday in case the network comes back. I plan to call my mother in Banda Aceh, but so far I cannot reach her.”

As rescue efforts continued, anger over the government’s disaster response began to grow.

Critics say authorities were unprepared for the floods. Some blamed bureaucratic red tape for slowing food aid distribution.

President Prabowo Subianto, who visited some flood-affected areas in North Sumatra on Monday, acknowledged that some roads were still blocked but added “we are doing everything we can to overcome the difficulties.”

“We face this disaster with resilience and solidarity,” he continued. “Our nation is strong now, it can overcome this.”