Indonesia floods death toll soars past 600 as rescue teams race against time

International

THE death toll from Indonesia’s devastating floods has surged past 600, with at least 631 confirmed dead and nearly 500 still missing as rescue teams struggle to reach isolated communities.

Thousands more have been injured, and officials say the situation remains critical across the hardest-hit provinces.

The floods were triggered by a rare cyclone over the Malacca Strait, bringing torrential rain to Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra, and affecting around 1.5 million people.

According to a BBC report, approximately one million residents have been evacuated, but many remain cut off from essential supplies.

In Aceh’s Pidie Jaya Regency, local accounts describe the floodwaters as overwhelming, with some saying the scale of the disaster is unlike anything experienced in living memory.

Aid workers are facing severe challenges reaching victims, as many roads are impassable.

Images from the affected areas show bridges washed away, roads buried under mud, and piles of uprooted logs.

In West Sumatra, excavators have been clearing thick mud while families anxiously await news of missing relatives, with some areas still inaccessible to larger vehicles.

Food and clean water remain scarce in several districts, with local officials reporting that residents must travel long distances to obtain basic necessities.

Authorities have deployed Starlink devices in Central Aceh to help survivors communicate with relatives and charge mobile phones, as many communities had been without connectivity for days.

Critics have raised concerns over bureaucratic delays and inadequate disaster preparedness, while some activist groups argue that environmental mismanagement, including land clearing for agriculture and mining, has worsened the floods.

On Monday, President Prabowo Subianto, visiting North Sumatra, acknowledged that some roads remain blocked but assured, “We’re doing everything we can to overcome difficulties,” emphasizing national resilience and solidarity.

The floods are part of broader severe weather across South and Southeast Asia. In the past week, floods and landslides have killed around 1,200 people, including 390 in Sri Lanka and 176 in Thailand.

A combination of the north-east monsoon and tropical cyclones, including Cyclonic Storms Ditwah and Senyar, brought record rainfall. Climate change is likely intensifying storms, producing heavier rainfall and more severe flooding.(MyTVCebu)