INDONESIA: Hundreds of people are said to be missing in Indonesia due to recent torrential rains that led to landslides and flooding.
Tropical cyclone Senyar, said to be exceptionally rare, wreaked havoc over Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra, starting from Nov 25, submerging buildings, blocking roads, damaging bridges, disrupting communication lines, and causing homes to be swept away.
As of Nov 29 (Saturday), almost 300,000 people had been evacuated, said Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency. Although rescue efforts are underway, thousands of people in the remotest areas are suffering from a lack of food, water, and medication.
Reuters reports that the official death toll had reached 502 on Monday (Dec 1), while the number of missing is said to be at 402.
According to Tempo, however, President Prabowo Subianto has yet to declare a national disaster emergency status, saying that there are still isolated villages that authorities are able to reach.
The cities of Central Tapanuli and Sibolga in North Sumatra are proving to be challenging to reach, and the Indonesian government has dispatched ships on Nov 30 so that aid could be brought to residents.
Torrential rain across Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka
Over the past few weeks, heavy rains and floods have affected not only Indonesia but also Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, and, most recently, Sri Lanka.
The death toll has reached 160 in Thailand, 90 in Vietnam. In the Philippines, around 300 people died after typhoons Kalmaegi and Fung-wong struck within days of each other in the first part of November. While there are only three reported deaths in Malaysia, like in the other countries, the storms have left extensive damage.
While severe weather is not unusual for Southeast Asia at this time of the year, La Niña has made the situation worse because it causes strong winds to push warm water in the Pacific Ocean toward East Asia, creating the conditions for typhoons to form and causing the heaviest rainfall in the region in years.
In Sri Lanka, the formation of two storm systems, Ditwah and Senyar, was responsible for the severe flooding and landslides that have claimed the lives of at least 355, according to the country’s Disaster Management Centre. Furthermore, another 366 people are said to be missing.
Last weekend, Ditwah also affected the state of Tamil Nadu in the south of India. Fortunately, it has already weakened, although three individuals have been killed in accidents related to the heavy rainfall. /TISG
