The death toll from floods and landslides across various parts of Asia surpassed 1,000 on Monday, as authorities in Sri Lanka and Indonesia, the two hardest hit countries, deployed military forces to assist survivors.
“We hope the worst phase has passed”
Intermittent weather disturbances brought heavy rainfall across the entire island of Sri Lanka, large areas of Indonesia’s Sumatra, southern Thailand, and northern Malaysia over the past week. The torrential rains forced residents to shelter on the roofs of their homes awaiting rescue by boats or helicopters, while entire villages were cut off from aid.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, who arrived in North Sumatra, said: “We hope the worst phase has passed”. He added: “The government’s priority now is how to send essential aid immediately”, with a particular focus on several isolated regions.
Sri Lanka requests international assistance
Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan government appealed to the international community for support and used military helicopters to reach those stranded by floods and landslides triggered by Cyclone Ditawah.
Sri Lankan officials reported at least 340 deaths, with many still missing. They noted that the scale of destruction in the heavily affected central region has begun to unfold as relief teams open roads blocked by fallen trees and mudslides.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who declared a state of emergency to address the disaster, pledged to repair the damage. In a national address he said: “We are facing the biggest and most difficult natural disaster in our history”, adding: “We will certainly rebuild a nation better than it was”.
State of alert
Floods caused by heavy rains have killed at least 176 people in southern Thailand, making them among the deadliest the country has experienced in the past ten years, authorities announced on Monday.
In Malaysia, the disaster response agency stated that 11,600 people remain in evacuation centres and confirmed that the state of alert continues in anticipation of a second and third wave of flooding.
