The death toll from devastating floods and landslides on Indonesia's Sumatra island has risen to 708, with 504 people still missing, the country's disaster agency confirmed on Tuesday. The figure marks a sharp increase from the 604 deaths reported the previous day, as heavy monsoon rains and tropical cyclones continue to wreak havoc across Southeast Asia.
In Indonesia, approximately 3.2 million people have been affected, 2,600 injured, and over one million evacuated from high-risk areas. Aid efforts are being hampered by blocked roads and broken bridges, with some regions such as Tapanuli Tengah in North Sumatra and Agam in Aceh completely inaccessible by road, according to Unicef.
In Aceh, one of the worst-hit provinces, markets are running out of essential supplies like rice and vegetables, with prices tripling. Islamic Relief, which is sending 12 tonnes of emergency food aid, warned that communities face severe food shortages if supply lines are not restored within a week. The Indonesian government has dispatched 34,000 tonnes of rice and 6.8 million litres of cooking oil to affected areas.
The World Health Organization has deployed rapid response teams and critical supplies, strengthening disease surveillance. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the disaster as 'another reminder of how climate change is driving more frequent and more extreme weather events, with disastrous effects.'
Survivors recounted harrowing escapes as floodwaters surged without warning. Gahitsa Zahira Cahyani, 17, a student at an Islamic boarding school, said: 'We didn't think we would survive that night because the situation was so chaotic. Everyone was thinking about saving themselves. There was no prior warning whatsoever before the water came.'
Across the region, more than 1,300 people have died, including 410 in Sri Lanka and 181 in southern Thailand. Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has declared a state of emergency, calling it the 'most challenging natural disaster in our history.' While rains have eased, landslide alerts remain in force across much of the central region.
