Rescuers in Indonesia and Thailand are racing to find hundreds missing after devastating floods and landslides killed at least 480 people across Southeast Asia.
PADANG: Indonesian and Thai authorities are racing to clear debris and find hundreds of people still missing after devastating floods and landslides killed at least 480 people across Southeast Asia.
Heavy monsoon rain overwhelmed swaths of Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia this week, leaving thousands stranded without shelter or critical supplies.
At least two cities on Indonesia’s worst-affected Sumatra island remained unreachable on Sunday.
Authorities deployed two warships from Jakarta to deliver aid to the isolated cities of Central Tapanuli and Sibolga.
The death toll in Indonesia rose to 316, while 289 people were still missing according to the latest figures.
In Sungai Nyalo village near Padang, floodwaters had mostly receded but left homes, vehicles and crops coated in thick grey mud.
Authorities had not yet begun clearing roads and no outside assistance had arrived, residents told AFP.
Most villagers chose to stay rather than leave their houses behind, according to local resident Idris.
Across the island towards the north coast, an endangered Sumatran elephant lay buried in thick mud and debris near damaged buildings in Meureudu town.
The ships were expected to reach Sibolga on Monday.
In Thailand, at least 162 people were killed in one of the worst floods in a decade.
Authorities continued to deliver aid and clear the damage while facing growing public criticism of their flood response.
The Thai government’s relief measures include compensation of up to two million baht (USD 62,000) for households that lost family members.
Two local officials have been suspended over their alleged failures in handling the disaster.
Two people were killed in Malaysia after floods left stretches of northern Perlis state underwater.
The annual monsoon season typically brings heavy rain between June and September, often triggering landslides and flash floods.
A tropical storm has exacerbated conditions, making these among the highest flood death tolls in Indonesia and Thailand in recent years.
Climate change has affected storm patterns, leading to heavier rainfall and stronger wind gusts.