Emergency crews raced to reach survivors and recover more bodies on Tuesday as the death toll from last week’s catastrophic floods and landslides surged past 1,300 in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, with nearly 1,000 people missing. There were days of heavy rain, including vast areas, leaving thousands stranded and many clinging to rooftops and trees while waiting for help. On Tuesday, authorities said, “The flooding and landslides killed at least 1,347 people, 573 in Indonesia, 410 in Sri Lanka, 181 in Thailand, and 3 in Malaysia.”
Sri Lanka’s president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, said, “It is too early to determine the exact number of his country.” One of the hardest-hit nations was Indonesia; rescuers were struggling in their search for survivors within villages on Sumatra Island due to roads being washed out and bridges destroyed. At least 551 people remain missing, according to the country’s National Disaster Management Agency. Helicopters and boats have been deployed, but officials warn that worsening weather and damaged infrastructure will slow down operations.
Floods and landslides in North Sumatra carried away millions of cubic meters of felled timber, officials said, sparking concern that illegal logging may have contributed to the disaster. Batang Toru, a lush, forested area, has turned into a wasteland of broken logs and shattered homes. Roads have vanished, replaced by rivers of sludge. Indonesian Environmental Forum activist Rianda Purba said, “This is not just a natural disaster, it’s a man-made crisis,” adding, “Deforestation and unchecked development have stripped Batang Toru of its resilience. Without urgent restoration and stricter protections, these floods will become the new normal.”
A week after flash floods and landslides swept through West Sumatra, survivors are still awaiting news of their loved ones. One of the survivors, Zahari Sutra, held photos of his missing wife and two daughters. aged 4 and 2, as he pleaded for help with rescuers in Sikumbang village in Agam district: “Other victims have been found…why not my family?”
Another survivor, Sutra, said he dropped his motorbike before running for higher ground when the rising water blocked his path to home last Thursday. He also said that the raging current swallowed his home. He waded through the water screaming and shouting for his wife and kids, but there was only the sound of water. When night was coming, he eventually found his four year old daughter covered in mud, but unharmed. Scared of more floods, Sutra hung onto a lychee tree with his daughter until morning. When morning arrived, he could see everything from the floods that occurred, all the homes covered in mud or even completely destroyed. “I carried my daughter and looked for help,” he said, sounding like he was about to cry. “My only prayer right now is to find my wife and children.”
