Monsoon Fury: Death Toll Rises Above 1,300 in Southeast Asia Floods
Image Source: Internet
Emergency responders in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand are racing against time to rescue survivors and recover bodies as the death toll from devastating floods and landslides surges past 1,300. The catastrophic deluge, triggered by days of heavy monsoon rains, has left thousands stranded and many clinging to rooftops and trees. In Indonesia, the hardest-hit nation, rescuers are struggling to access villages on Sumatra island, where roads have been washed out and bridges collapsed. With at least 551 people still missing, authorities are warning of worsening weather and damaged infrastructure slowing operations. The floods and landslides have also sparked concerns over illegal logging, with millions of cubic meters of felled timber carried away. Environmental activists are calling for urgent restoration and stricter protections to prevent such disasters from becoming the new normal. In Sri Lanka, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake described the disaster as the worst to strike the country in recent history, with 410 confirmed dead and nearly 336 people still missing. Military-led rescue teams are scouring flood-devastated areas, while residents are struggling without running water. In Thailand, cleanup efforts have begun after massive floods affected over 1.5 million households and 3.9 million people. Authorities are working to restore infrastructure, including water and electricity, and providing aid to affected residents. Meanwhile, a dispute between Pakistan and India has delayed a military aircraft carrying humanitarian aid to Sri Lanka, with both countries accusing each other of blocking the overflight permission.
