Indonesia’s National Disaster Agency reported over 200 deaths; the Thai government stated 162 deaths in the southern part of the country; and Malaysia confirmed two deaths. The death toll from these floods is among the highest in recent years in both Indonesia and Thailand.
In Indonesia, North Sumatra province has the highest death toll with 116 deaths. The death toll in West Sumatra has nearly tripled from 23 to 61, with “90 people still missing.” Aceh province has also seen at least 35 deaths.
On Saturday, rescue workers were working to reach the worst-affected areas of Sumatra.
In Thailand, a government spokesperson stated at a press conference on Saturday that “the total death toll across the seven affected provinces is 162, with Songkhla province being the hardest hit, with 126 deaths.” The region experienced flooding reaching levels of up to three meters, marking one of the worst floods in a decade. The government announced it will provide up to US$62,000 in compensation to the families of the victims.
Refrigerated trucks have been requisitioned to temporarily store the bodies of victims as morgues are overwhelmed.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka in South Asia has also been hit by heavy rainfall this week by Cyclone Ditwah, which is moving towards India. The Sri Lanka Disaster Management Center reported on Saturday that floods and landslides have killed at least 123 people and displaced nearly 44,000. The government has appealed to the international community for assistance and called on overseas communities to donate to support approximately 500,000 affected people. The country’s worst floods this century occurred in 2003, killing 254 people.
Scientists point out that global warming caused by human activity is making extreme weather events more frequent, deadly, and destructive. Experts warn that for every degree Celsius increase in temperature, the air can hold 7% more humidity, thus making rainfall more intense.