Death toll from Indonesia floods surpasses 900

The death toll from catastrophic floods in Indonesia has risen above 900, with hundreds still missing, as authorities struggle to reach isolated areas.

The disaster followed a rare and powerful cyclone that formed over the Malacca Strait last week, bringing torrential rain, landslides, and widespread destruction to parts of the country.

More than 100,000 homes have been destroyed, and thousands of families have been displaced. In Aceh Tamiang, one of the worst-hit regions, survivors described entire villages being swept away by fast-moving floodwaters. Many were forced to cling to rooftops for days, without food or water. Fitriana, a resident of Lintang Bawah Village, said around 90% of homes in her village were destroyed, leaving 300 families with nowhere to go. She recalled people surviving with their young children on rooftops for three days without eating or drinking.

In Gampoeng Dalam Village, floodwaters rose up to the second floor of houses, forcing families to evacuate multiple times. One resident said, “Luckily, my daughter-in-law’s two-story house allowed us to climb upstairs and survive the night.”

Access to remote areas remains severely limited. Land routes to Sibolga City and Central Tapanuli are still blocked, with relief supplies reaching residents only by air and sea. Aid workers are navigating muddy and destroyed roads to deliver essential supplies such as food, clean water, and medical aid.

The region’s governor reported that response teams are still recovering bodies from “waist-deep” mud. He warned that starvation is a serious risk for people stranded in remote areas, noting, “People are not dying from the flood alone, but from a lack of basic necessities.”

Prison officials were forced to release inmates in some areas when floodwaters threatened to submerge facilities, leaving authorities struggling to find temporary accommodations. Additionally, there have been reports of looting at supermarkets in affected regions.

The Indonesia floods are part of a series of extreme weather events across Southeast Asia, which have also impacted Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam. The cumulative death toll in these countries is approaching 2,000.

International and local aid organizations have mobilized to support rescue and relief operations, but the scale of destruction, combined with ongoing heavy rains, continues to hamper access to the most isolated communities.

Source: BBC