The death toll from torrential rains, floods, and landslides across Southeast Asia has climbed past 600, officials said on Sunday, as rescue teams struggled to reach isolated communities and more than four million people remained affected.
A rare tropical storm that formed in the Malacca Strait unleashed nearly a week of heavy rain and powerful winds across Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia. Indonesia has recorded 435 deaths, Thailand 170, and Malaysia three.
Relief workers continued evacuations over the weekend, though access remained difficult in several regions where floodwaters and damaged roads cut off entire towns. Southern Thailand accounts for nearly three million of the affected people, while western Indonesia has reported around 1.1 million.
In Sri Lanka, meanwhile, authorities reported 153 deaths, 191 missing, and more than half a million people affected after a separate cyclone crossed the Bay of Bengal.
In Indonesia, the toll rose sharply as officials compiled reports from flood-hit provinces in Sumatra. Helicopters were deployed to deliver aid to remote areas where roads and communication lines collapsed. A Reuters photographer flying over West Sumatra’s Palembayan town saw large swathes of land swept away, with displaced residents waiting near a field for food drops. Officials said looting had been reported in some areas as desperation grew.
One resident, Afrianti, described returning home to find the house destroyed. She and her family are now living in a makeshift tent beside the only wall still standing. More than 400 people remain missing and over 213,000 have been displaced across Indonesia.
Thailand’s health ministry said the death toll there had risen to 170, with Songkhla Province suffering 131 fatalities. Hat Yai recorded 335 mm of rain on Friday — the highest in 300 years — as days of downpours overwhelmed drainage systems. Malaysia, which has evacuated 18,700 people, has lifted storm warnings but continues monitoring conditions. Its foreign ministry said it had helped evacuate more than 6,200 citizens stranded in Thailand.
Malaysia also urged its nationals in West Sumatra to register with the local consulate for assistance. Authorities said a 30-year-old Malaysian was reported missing after a landslide in the region.
Rescue efforts are ongoing across all three countries as floodwaters begin to recede, but officials warn that the full scale of damage may take days to assess.
