The death toll resulting from floods in various parts of Southeast Asia increased to a minimum of 321 individuals by Friday. Authorities were actively engaged in rescuing stranded citizens, restoring power and communication services, and coordinating recovery operations as the floodwaters started to recede.
Significant areas in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand experienced severe impacts from cyclone-driven heavy rainfall for about a week, with an uncommon tropical storm emerging in the Malacca Strait. Additionally, authorities in the South Asian nation of Sri Lanka reported 46 fatalities due to a cyclone.
In Indonesia’s heavily affected Sumatra island, the head of Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency, Suharyanto, confirmed 174 deaths on Friday. Although the rain had ceased, 79 individuals were still unaccounted for, and numerous families had to be relocated, as stated in a press briefing.
In the Padang Pariaman region of Sumatra, where 22 people perished, residents grappled with water levels reaching at least one meter high and awaited assistance from search-and-rescue teams. Communication breakdowns persisted in certain areas of the island, and efforts were underway to reestablish power and clear blocked roads due to landslide debris, according to Abdul Muhari, a spokesperson for Indonesia’s national disaster mitigation agency.
Furthermore, the Thai government disclosed that 145 casualties had been recorded across eight southern provinces due to floods. In Hat Yai, severely impacted in Thailand, the rainfall had finally ceased, but residents continued to deal with flooded conditions and power outages while assessing the destruction caused over the past week.
In Malaysia, where two deaths were confirmed, tropical storm Senyar hit land and subsequently weakened. Authorities remained vigilant for potential heavy rainfall, strong winds, and rough seas that could endanger small vessels. The number of evacuees housed in shelters decreased to 30,000 from over 34,000 the day before. The Malaysian foreign ministry reported evacuating 1,459 stranded nationals from flood-affected hotels in Thailand and pledged to rescue the remaining 300 individuals still trapped in flood zones.