Death toll in Southeast Asia floods tops 300

AFP | Medan

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Days of devastating flooding across Southeast Asia have killed more than 300 people in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia, authorities said yesterday.

Heavy monsoon season rains paired with a tropical storm system inundated areas across the three countries, stranding residents on rooftops and cutting off entire communities.

Authorities in Indonesia were struggling to reach the worst-affected areas on Sumatra island, while authorities at a southern Thailand hospital brought in refrigerated trucks to store bodies after the morgue exceeded capacity.

In Indonesia’s West Sumatra province, 53-year-old Misniati described a terrifying battle against rising floodwaters to reach her husband at home. She said that, returning from early morning prayers at a mosque, “I noticed the street was flooded.”

“I tried to run back to my house to tell my husband, and the water was already reaching my waist,” she said, adding that it was up to her chest by the time she reached home.

“We didn’t sleep at all last night, we just monitored the water,” said Misniati, who only uses one name.

Officials on Sumatra said flooding and landslides this week had killed at least 174 people, with nearly 80 more missing.

National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) chief Suharyanto said the toll could grow as rescuers reach isolated areas.

“There are locations that still cannot be reached... where it is indicated that there may be human victims in those areas that are unreachable,” Suharyanto said.

North Sumatra police spokesman Ferry Walintukan said authorities were focused on “evacuation and providing assistance”, although access to some areas and communication was still cut.

“Hopefully, the weather will clear up so we can move the helicopter to the (worst-hit) locations,” he said.

In Aceh province in Sumatra’s north, receding water left behind cars buried in mud almost up to their windows. An AFP journalist saw a truck carrying timber abandoned in the mud, with no sign of the driver.

More rain is forecast for much of Sumatra island, although the intensity was expected to ease, officials said.

Among the hardest-hit areas in the region is southern Thailand, where residents of Hat Yai were left clinging to rooftops awaiting rescue by boat.