Jakarta: more than 600 people died In floods caused by heavy rains in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, As reported on Saturday by the authorities of Asian countries.
Images of flooded residents, residents trapped by water and landslides are repeated in the four countries, after rains that hit South and Southeast Asia for several days.
The Indonesian Disaster Management Agency reported more than 300 deadThe Thai authorities are at least 162 in the south of the country, the Sri Lankan government is at least 153, and the Malaysian authorities are two victims.
And in Indonesia, parts of Sumatra, It is famous for its rainforests, volcanoes and mountain ranges. They are largely isolated by damaged roads and cut communications lines, and rely on aircraft to deliver relief supplies. Rescue efforts were also hampered by a lack of heavy equipment.
The monsoon rains that fell last week caused rivers to overflow. The floods swept away mountainous villages, sweeping away people and submerging thousands of homes and buildings in three provinces: North Sumatra, West Sumatra and Aceh.
North Sumatra is the most affected With 166 dead. In neighboring West Sumatra, the death toll rose to 90 people, and in the Aceh region, 47 more people lost their lives.
“The water in our house receded, but everything was covered in mud.” says Novia, a resident of Bidi, Aceh. Another resident, Farda Yusra, said that he had to flee his home with his wife and son, to take refuge in a nearby mosque with a thousand other people. “Here we eat whatever is within our reach,” he declared.
In Thailand, government spokesman Siripong Angkasakulkiat reported on Saturday that “the total number of deaths in the seven (affected) provinces reaches 162.”
more than 100 victims It was registered in Songkhla Province in the south. Waters rose to three meters in this area, in one of the worst floods in the decade. To compensate for the fullness of the morgues, refrigerated trucks were mobilized to store the bodies.
The Thai Prime Minister received, on Friday, Anutin Charnvirakul, He visited a shelter in Hat Yai district, one of the worst-hit areas, and apologized for “allowing” the tragedy to happen during his government.
“The next step is to prevent the situation from getting worse.” The president added, pointing out that cleaning the area will take two weeks. The government launched aid for those affected, including A compensation Up to $62,000 in some cases.
he Public discontent Increases in Thailand due to disaster management. Two local officials were suspended for alleged violations.
In the neighbourhood MalaysiaTwo people died in floods in the northern state of Perlis, which borders Thailand’s Songkhla province.
to the west, in sri lanka, Floods and avalanches caused by heavy rain They left at least 153 dead Among them were 11 nursing home residents, police said.
Nearly 80,000 people were forced to take refuge in temporary shelters. There are also 191 missing, As detailed by the authorities. The government declared a state of emergency and requested international assistance.
The annual monsoon season, between June and September, often brings heavy rains resulting in tragedies. But this year a tropical storm made conditions worse. In Indonesia and Thailand, the number of casualties is among the worst in recent years due to floods.
According to scientists, global warming caused by human activity Makes extreme weather events more frequent, Deadly and destructive. Experts warn that for every additional degree, the atmosphere could contain 7% more moisture, with more intense rainfall.
Agence France-Presse and the Associated Press