Last Updated:
Over 600 dead in Indonesia and Thailand floods and landslides. Sumatra and Hat Yai hit hard, with homes, hospitals, and schools damaged. Relief efforts face criticism.
Cars and houses are submerged in floodwaters in the Songkhla province of southern Thailand. (AP)
More than 600 people have reportedly died in the recent devastating floods and landslides in Indonesia and Thailand.
The Guardian quoted Indonesian official stating that more than 442 died, hundreds had been injured and 402 were missing as authorities attempt to reach some of the hardest-hit areas of Sumatra island, where thousands of people were stranded without critical supplies.
“The water just rose up into the house and we were afraid, so we fled. Then we came back on Friday, and the house was gone, destroyed,” Afrianti, 41, who only goes by one name, told Reuters in West Sumatra’s capital, Padang, where she was sheltering.
According to Associated Press, some residents continue to struggle to find food and water after deluges triggered landslides, damaged roads and downed communication lines. Some people even waded waist-deep flood waters to reach the damaged convenience stores.
A police spokesperson, Ferry Walintukan, told AP there were reports of people breaking into shops on Saturday evening, and that regional police had been deployed. “The looting happened before logistical aid arrived,” Walintukan said. “[Residents] didn’t know that aid would come and were worried they would starve.”
Meanwhile, Thailand has reported at least 162 deaths in one of the worst floods in a decade.
According to The Guardian, though relief measures have been rolled out by the government, there has been a rise in public criticism of Thailand’s flood response. Two local officials have been suspended over their alleged failures.
Videos and photos from the affected areas have shown damaged roads, fallen power poles, household appliances and debris washed away by floodwaters piled along the streets. Abandoned cars were overturned or stacked atop one another, apparently swept away by powerful currents.
The floods have damaged more than 33,000 homes in Hat Yai and its surroundings, along with five hospitals, 58 schools and roads.
November 30, 2025, 9:31 PM IST
Read More
Source link
[ad_3]
