900 killed in floods in Indonesia, Thailand and Sri Lanka | news

Floods claimed the lives of more than 900 people in Indonesia, Thailand and Sri Lanka, according to an updated toll on Sunday, while hundreds are still missing.

The authorities of these countries located in South and Southeast Asia are working to open roads and remove rubble to find the missing people after the disaster of heavy rains, floods and landslides.

In Indonesia, the most affected country, the National Disaster Management Authority announced on Sunday that the death toll from floods and landslides had risen to 442 people, while 402 people were still missing.

In Sri Lanka, the Disaster Management Center announced the death of at least 334 people after a week of heavy rains caused by Cyclone Ditwah, and 400 people are still missing.

The center said that the northern parts of the city of Colombo witnessed floods due to the rapid rise in the water level of the Kelani River, estimating the number of those affected in various parts of the country at more than one million people.

In Thailand, where at least 162 people died in the worst floods in 10 years, the authorities continue to distribute aid to tens of thousands who were evacuated from their homes, and to repair the damage.

In Malaysia, where two people died as a result of the floods, the scene was less tragic than in the rest of the affected countries in the region.

Two rescue warships

At least two cities on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia, are still completely isolated by floods: Tapanuli and Sibolga.

The authorities announced the dispatch of two warships to supply the besieged residents there with aid.

In the city of Sungai Nyalu, located 100 kilometers from Padang in Sumatra, flood waters have largely receded, leaving homes, cars and fields covered in a layer of mud.

In Thailand, the authorities continue to search for missing persons, and the government has taken measures to help those affected, including compensation amounting to two million baht (about 62 thousand dollars).

But the authorities are facing increasing criticism and accusations of negligence in their handling of the disaster, and two local officials have been removed from their duties.

In Sri Lanka, the authorities declared an emergency and mobilized the army to participate in rescue operations.