Washington [US], December 3: Heavy rainfall has unleashed widespread flooding and landslides across Asia, killing more than 1,100 people in a week of destruction for the region and creating treacherous search and rescue operations for hundreds more still missing.
Millions of people are dealing with intense flooding after cyclone-fueled downpours battered parts of Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia.
Sri Lanka was struck by a separate storm, leaving some areas submerged and creating the most difficult rescue operation the country has ever seen, according to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
"This is the first time the entire country has been struck by such a disaster," he said in an address to the nation, Reuters reported. His comment suggested that the breadth of devastation has surpassed the damage caused in Sri Lanka by the Asian tsunami in 2004, which killed far more people.
Across Asia, the severe weather, which began last week, has so far claimed the lives of at least 604 people in Indonesia, 390 in Sri Lanka, 176 in Thailand and two in Malaysia, according to officials - taking the total to 1,172.
In Indonesian
Indonesian rescue teams are struggling to reach the hardest-hit areas of Sumatra, where Cyclone Senyar caused catastrophic landslides and flooding.
President Prabowo Subianto visited evacuees in the north of the island on Monday, noting challenges with fuel supply and roads, according to Antara, Indonesia's government-run news agency.
At least 604 people have died, government data on Monday showed, and more than 460 are still missing. Military and police have been deployed to help victims, local media reported.
Video footage shows helicopters delivering supplies to Sumatra, renowned for its lush rainforests, active volcanoes and a critically endangered orangutan population.
"During the flood, everything was gone," a resident of Bireuen, in Sumatra's northernmost province Aceh, told Reuters.
"I wanted to save my clothes, but my house came down."
Maulidin, a 41-year-old resident of North Aceh, fled her home with her family when she woke to the sound of flooding.
"My house is already destroyed, all my belongings are ruined, and mud is inside," she told Agence France-Presse.
Rescuers have been trying to reach residents stranded by the floodwaters since Tuesday when monsoon rains caused rivers to overflow.
Some people have turned to stealing food and water to survive, according to local authorities.
"The looting happened before logistical aid arrived," police spokesperson Ferry Walintukan said, according to the Associated Press. Residents "didn't know that aid would come and were worried they would starve."
In Thailand
Across the Strait of Malacca, at least 176 people have died due to extreme weather in southern Thailand, the country's disaster agency told CNN.
Almost 2.8 million people have been affected, with authorities airlifting patients and flying critical supplies, including oxygen tanks, to submerged communities, Reuters reported.
Amphorn Kaeophengkro and her family of eight rushed to the second floor of their home when floodwaters swept in last Saturday, spending 48 hours perched atop a table, washing machine and on a window frame.
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Cooperation