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More than 900 people have been killed in massive floods and landslides across Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Thailand following heavy monsoon rains intensified by a tropical storm. Hundreds more remain missing and thousands have been left homeless as rescue operations and debris clearance continue, The Guardian reports.
Sri Lanka has suffered the greatest impact. According to official data, the death toll from cyclone-triggered flooding and landslides has risen to 334. On Sunday, low-lying areas of the capital Colombo remained submerged. Nearly 148,000 people have been evacuated and relocated to temporary shelters. Rescue teams continue to clear blocked roads in central regions, and officials warn that the full extent of the destruction is only beginning to emerge. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has declared a state of emergency and called for international support to rebuild.
“We are facing the biggest and most complex natural disaster in our history,” he said. “We will undoubtedly build a better country than before.”
Authorities note that this is the deadliest disaster in Sri Lanka since the 2004 tsunami that killed around 31,000 people.
In Indonesia, widespread devastation was reported on the island of Sumatra. Local officials confirmed at least 442 deaths, while 402 people remain missing. Shortages of food, clean water, and fuel persist in several regions. Two districts in Sumatra remained inaccessible by land as of Sunday. Two navy ships have been dispatched from Jakarta to deliver aid. In the city of Padang, West Sumatra, resident Afrianti told Reuters that her home was swept away by floodwaters.
“The water rose into the house and we panicked and fled. We returned on Friday, but the house was gone — destroyed,” she said, adding that the family’s shop and livelihood were also lost. “There is nothing left. We are living beside this one wall that remains,” she added. Afrianti and her family of nine have set up a temporary tent next to the ruins of their home.
In the village of Sungai Nyalo, about 100 km from Padang, floodwaters had mostly receded by Sunday, leaving thick layers of mud over homes, vehicles and farmland. Residents told Agence France-Presse that roads remained uncleared and no aid had reached the village yet.
Associated Press reported that due to damaged infrastructure and communication outages, many people have been forced to search for food and water on their own. Videos on social media show residents wading through waist-deep water past collapsed storefronts to reach damaged shops. Police spokesperson Ferry Walintukan confirmed incidents of looting, saying people were unaware that relief convoys were already en route.
Adverse weather and a lack of heavy equipment continue to complicate rescue efforts. Aid delivery is slowest to the city of Sibolga and Central Tapanuli Regency in North Sumatra, where stranded residents have been signaling helicopters for help. Naval support vessels have arrived at port to assist humanitarian operations.
In Thailand, one of the worst floods in decades has killed at least 162 people. The government has announced compensation for families of the victims. However, public criticism over the authorities’ response is growing, and two local officials have been suspended over alleged mismanagement. Southeast Asia’s monsoon season typically lasts from June to September, bringing heavy downpours that can trigger landslides and flash floods. This year, the situation has been worsened by a tropical storm. Meteorologists warn that climate change is increasing the intensity and duration of rainfall, raising disaster risks across the region.
Search and rescue operations, evacuations, and infrastructure repairs continue in all affected areas.
Earlier, authorities reported that a fire at the Wang Fuk Court residential complex in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district was the deadliest in the city’s modern history, killing at least 128 people and leaving around 150 missing.
