The death toll from devastating floods and landslides in Southeast Asia topped 350 on Saturday as recovery and search-and-rescue operations began across the country. IndonesiaThailand and Malaysia.
Heavy monsoon rain has lashed three countries this week, leaving hundreds dead and thousands stranded, many stranded on rooftops waiting for help.
Rescuers in Indonesia were struggling to reach the hardest-hit areas of Sumatra island, where more than 100 people were still missing.
Floods and landslides in Indonesia have killed more than 200 people, according to disaster management authorities.
“As of this evening, 61 deaths have been reported and 90 are still being sought,” Ilham Wahab, a spokesman for West Sumatra's regional disaster mitigation agency, said late Friday, updating the preliminary tally of 23 deaths in the province.
A further 116 people were killed in North Sumatra, while in Aceh province the death toll was at least 35, it said.
The head of the national emergency management agency, Suharyanto, told a news conference that a cloud seeding operation would begin in West Sumatra to reduce rainfall, much of which had already subsided by Saturday.
In the south ThailandWater levels in Songkhla province have reached three meters, killing at least 145 people in one of the worst floods in a decade. The country's death toll stood at 162, according to government data.
Workers at one hospital in hard-hit Hat Yai moved bodies into refrigerated trucks after the morgue became overcrowded.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul visited a shelter for evacuees in the area on Friday.
“I really have to apologize to them for allowing this to happen during my time in government,” he told reporters in footage shown on AmarinTV.
“The next step is to prevent the situation from getting worse,” he added, announcing a two-week deadline to clear the area.
The Thai government has taken measures to help flood victims, including compensation of up to 2 million baht ($62,000) for families who lost family members.
As the floodwaters receded, store owner Rashan Remsringham was sorting through trash strewn between the aisles of his general store, lamenting hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses.
He said his store, Madam Yong, was looted and vandalized following the disaster.
Public criticism of Thailand's flood response is growing, and two local officials have been removed from office over perceived failures.
A lawmaker from the opposition People's Party criticized the administration, saying it had “misjudged the situation” and made “mistakes in handling the flood crisis.”
Two people died in Malaysia due to flooding caused by heavy rain that left parts of the northern state of Perlis under water.
The annual monsoon season, usually from June to September, often brings heavy rains that cause landslides and flash floods.
A tropical storm has worsened the situation, and flood losses in Indonesia and Thailand are among the highest in recent years for those countries.
Climate change has affected storm patterns, including the length and intensity of the season, leading to increased rainfall, flash flooding and stronger wind gusts.
