Death Toll Rises in Indonesia and Thailand
The death toll from floods and landslides in Indonesia and Thailand has risen to over 600. Nearby Sri Lanka also reported more than 200 deaths after a cyclone. Three people died in Malaysia, according to officials, due to extreme weather in South Asia and Southeast Asia.
Current Situation
In total, Indonesian officials said 442 people died, and Thai authorities reported 170 deaths in the southern part of the country. Rescue operations continued throughout the day, with more than four million people affected by the effects of a tropical storm in the Strait of Malacca – nearly three million in southern Thailand and 1.1 million in western Indonesia.
Relief Efforts
Indonesian relief and rescue teams have used helicopters to help people unable to access due to blocked roads on the western island of Sumatra. Many areas were cut off, while damage to telecommunications infrastructure hindered communications. Officials said they had received reports of people looting utility lines while desperately seeking help in other areas.
Weather Conditions
Hat Yai, the largest city in Thailand’s Songkhla province, recorded 335 mm (13 inches) of rain on Friday last week, the highest daily total in 300 years. After days of rain, weather authorities in Malaysia lifted tropical storm and persistent rain warnings and forecast clear skies for most of the country. However, about 18,700 people are still in evacuation centers, according to the country’s national disaster management agency.
Situation in Sri Lanka
Across the Bay of Bengal, Sri Lanka’s disaster management center said in a situation report on Sunday that 212 people had died as a result of Cyclone Ditwah. A further 218 people were reported missing in the 25 districts of the South Asian country, with more than half a million people affected nationwide.
