The death toll from severe floods and landslides across Southeast Asia has climbed to over 600, as Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia reel from one of the region’s worst storms in recent memory. Relief efforts continue over the weekend for tens of thousands of displaced people, as officials struggle to reach isolated communities.
The rare tropical storm forming in the Malacca Strait brought relentless rains and strong winds for a week. Indonesia reported 435 deaths, Thailand 170, and Malaysia three, with more than 4 million people affected—nearly 3 million in southern Thailand and 1.1 million in western Indonesia.
Across the Bay of Bengal, Sri Lanka also suffered a deadly cyclone, killing 153 people, leaving 191 missing, and impacting over half a million nationwide.
Indonesia: Devastation in Sumatra
In Indonesia, the death toll jumped from 303 on Saturday to 435 by Sunday. Sumatra bore the brunt, with landslides and floods devastating three provinces. Many areas remain cut off due to blocked roads and damaged telecommunications. Helicopters are being used to deliver aid to the hardest-hit towns.
From a navy chopper over Palembayan in West Sumatra, a Reuters photographer saw homes and land swept away by floodwaters. On landing, dozens of survivors waited for food on a soccer field.
Afrianti, 41, shared her heartbreaking story: “The water just rose up into the house and we were afraid, so we fled. Then we came back on Friday, and the house was gone, destroyed.” She now lives with her family of nine in a makeshift tent beside the only wall left standing. “My home and business are gone, the shop is gone. Nothing remains.”
Currently, 406 people are still missing, and 213,000 have been displaced.
Thailand and Malaysia: Historic Rainfall and Evacuations
Southern Thailand reported 170 deaths, with Songkhla Province hardest hit at 131. Hat Yai city saw 335 mm (13 inches) of rain in a single day—its highest in 300 years. Over 102 people were injured, and tens of thousands were forced to evacuate.
In Malaysia, roughly 18,700 people remain in evacuation centers, although meteorological authorities have lifted storm warnings and forecasted clearer skies. Heavy rains and winds had previously battered the country, prompting the evacuation of over 6,200 Malaysians stranded in Thailand.
The Malaysian foreign ministry advised citizens in West Sumatra to register with local consulates for assistance after a 30-year-old Malaysian went missing in a landslide.
As Southeast Asia mourns and rebuilds, authorities continue to race against time, delivering aid and searching for the missing amid widespread destruction. The storm’s aftermath has left a trail of shattered homes, disrupted communities, and countless lives upended.
