Jakarta: The combined death toll from floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains on Indonesia’s Sumatra island and Sri Lanka has risen to more than 770, with hundreds more missing. Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency reported late on Monday that the death toll from floods and mudslides has increased to at least 442, a significant rise from the 300 reported earlier in the day. More than 300 people remain missing and thousands of homes have been submerged. Rescuers are urgently evacuating residents in North and West Sumatra provinces, as well as Aceh and Riau provinces, although the task remains challenging due to persistent high floodwaters. Roads and bridges have been severed, and internet and power are gradually being restored in some areas.

According to Thai News Agency, over the weekend, the Indonesian military and disaster relief agencies dispatched aid via helicopter to flood- and landslide-stricken areas on Sumatra island, which remain isolated. Adverse weather and difficult access hampered aid delivery the previous day, leaving many locals without food and essential supplies, with reports emerging of looting of relief convoys.

In Sri Lanka, the National Disaster Management Agency confirmed that the death toll from floods and landslides caused by Tropical Cyclone Ditwah has reached at least 330, with 203 people missing. The cyclone damaged or submerged over 20,000 houses, and over 500,000 people have been affected nationwide, with more than 108,000 evacuated to over 800 temporary shelters. The Sri Lankan government declared a state of emergency due to the cyclone’s severe impact, which has been the country’s worst natural disaster in years, leaving more than a third of the country without electricity and running water.

The storm has also brought heavy rain and strong winds to the southern Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Officials have cautioned fishermen to avoid the sea during this period of intense winds and high waves. Rescue teams are on standby, and some have been dispatched to flood-prone areas after India’s National Meteorological Department issued warnings of exceptionally heavy rain along Tamil Nadu’s northern coast and Andhra Pradesh’s southern coast.