Rescue efforts intensify in Asia as flood deaths surge
Binsar Bakkara and Niniek Karmini |
Emergency crews are racing to reach survivors and recover more bodies as the death toll from catastrophic floods and landslides surges past 1300 in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand, with more than 800 people missing.
Days of heavy monsoon rains inundated vast areas, leaving thousands stranded and many clinging to rooftops and trees waiting for help.
The flooding and landslides killed at least 1303 people, with 712 people confirmed dead in Indonesia, 410 in Sri Lanka and 181 in Thailand, authorities said on Tuesday.
Sri Lanka’s president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, said it was too early to determine the exact number of dead.
In Indonesia, the hardest-hit nation, rescuers struggled to access villages on Sumatra island, where roads have been washed out and bridges collapsed.
At least 507 people remain missing, according to the country’s National Disaster Management Agency.
Helicopters and boats have been deployed, but officials warn that worsening weather and damaged infrastructure are slowing operations.
Floods and landslides in North Sumatra carried away millions of cubic metres of felled timber, officials said, sparking public concern that illegal logging might have contributed to the disaster.
Batang Toru, the lush forested area, has turned into a wasteland of broken logs and shattered homes.
Roads have vanished, replaced by rivers of sludge.
“This is not just a natural disaster, it’s a manmade crisis,” said Rianda Purba from the Indonesian Environmental Forum, an activist group.
“Deforestation and unchecked development have stripped Batang Toru of its resilience. Without urgent restoration and stricter protections, these floods will become the new normal.”
Military-led rescue teams in Sri Lanka scoured flood-devastated areas for 336 people still missing in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, the Disaster Management Centre said on Tuesday.
Roads were blocked by landslides and bridges have collapsed, making access difficult.
In the central city of Kandy, residents struggled without running water, relying instead on bottled water collected from natural springs.
Authorities warned that conditions could worsen as more rain is forecast in the coming days.
President Dissanayake, speaking in a meeting with government officials, described the disaster as the worst to strike the country in recent history, saying it remained impossible to determine the full scale of casualties.
He warned the death toll was likely far higher than current figures, and government agencies were working to reach isolated communities.
In southern Thailand, clean-up has begun on streets and in buildings after massive floods affected more than 1.5 million households and 3.9 million people.
Authorities are working to restore infrastructure, including water and electricity.
Thailand’s interior ministry said on Monday it would set up public kitchens to provide freshly cooked food to affected residents.
The first batch of compensation payments of 239 million baht ($A11.4 million) was set to be distributed to 26,000 people, a government spokesperson said.
AP
