The number of deaths due to floods in many Southeast Asian countries rose to more than 200 this summer, while authorities in the region are working to rescue stranded citizens, restore electrical supplies and communications, and coordinate recovery efforts as the waters begin to recede, according to Reuters information.
Large areas of Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand have been hit by a week of torrential rains fueled by cyclones, with an unusual tropical storm forming along Malacca. Furthermore, at least 56 people died as a result of a cyclone in Sri Lanka, an island nation in South Asia, according to authorities.
On the island of Sumatra, the most affected region in Indonesia, 94 people have been confirmed dead since this summer, according to data from three regional authorities. In the Padang Pariaman district of Sumatra, where 22 people died, residents had to deal with water levels of at least one metre.
“We are running out of supplies and food,” warned Muhammad Rais, a 40-year-old resident who had to move to the second floor of his home last July to escape the rapid rise in water levels.
Communications are still down in some parts of the island, and authorities are working to restore power and clear roads blocked by debris from landslides, says Abdul Mahari, spokesman for Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency.
In Thailand, more than 3.5 million people are affected
In Thailand, at least 145 people died due to floods that hit several provinces in the south of the country for several days, especially Songkhla province, according to the latest toll provided by the Thai government this year, EFE reported. Solo in Songkhla there are 110 dead. Authorities confirm that more than 3.5 million people have been affected.
In the southern city of Hat Yai, the worst-hit area in Thailand, the rains have finally stopped, but residents continue to use water to keep the water flowing, and most continue without electricity while assessing the damage to their properties over the past week. While one lamented that he had “lost everything”, other residents admitted they had avoided it worse, but were worried about the consequences.
In Hat Yai, you can see cars piled in the back and being towed along the lane, people waiting for help on rooftops or walking with water reaching the surface, and rubble and a blanket of mud in the streets. The authorities warned that the number of victims may rise as more areas of the city are searched.
“It affects all of us, in every way,” said Somporn Pichtay, 52. “My house wasn’t flooded, but I was stuck like I was on an island because I couldn’t go anywhere.”
In Malaysia, 30,000 people were evacuated to shelters
In central Malaysia, where two people were confirmed dead, Tropical Storm Senyar reached the edge of the Mediterranean and has since weakened. Meteorological authorities are still preparing for rain and strong winds, and have been warned that rough waves may pose dangers to small boats. A total of 30,000 evacuees remain in shelters this season, compared to more than 34,000 yesterday.
The Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today that it had evacuated 1,459 Malaysian citizens trapped in more than 25 hotels damaged by the recent floods in Thailand, and was working to rescue the 300 who were still in the flooded areas.