Devastating floods and landslides triggered by heavy monsoon rains have claimed 442 lives across Indonesia's Sumatra island nearly a week ago, with the toll expected to rise as rescue teams recover more bodies from North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Aceh provinces. Another 402 people remain missing amid widespread destruction that has damaged roads, bridges, communication lines, and isolated communities. Over 290,700 individuals have been displaced, with thousands of homes submerged up to rooftops and agricultural lands ruined.
Desperation has led residents in flood-ravaged areas like Sibolga and Central Tapanuli to break into stores for food, water, medicine, and gas. Social media videos show people wading through waist-deep waters, scrambling over debris and shattered glass past crumbling barricades. Police spokesperson Ferry Walintukan noted the looting occurred Saturday evening before aid arrived, as residents feared starvation amid cut-off access and unpredictable weather hampering operations.
Rescue efforts face severe challenges from damaged infrastructure, lack of heavy equipment, and ongoing severe weather warnings from the meteorology agency. Eleven helicopters from Jakarta and four navy ships have delivered supplies to inaccessible zones, with footage showing military airdrops and frantic survivors waving for help. Despite these measures, aid distribution remains slow in hardest-hit regions.
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In neighboring Sri Lanka, floods and mudslides since last week have killed 193 people, with 228 missing and 148,000 displaced into temporary shelters. Heavy downpours flooded homes, fields, and roads, particularly in tea-growing central hills, exacerbated by Cyclone Ditwah moving toward India's southern coast. Authorities urge calm as relief ramps up, but the crises highlight vulnerabilities to extreme weather across Southeast Asia, with more rain forecast.
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