THE death toll from devastating floods and landslides in South-East Asia climbed past 350 as clean-up and search and rescue operations got underway in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia.
Heavy monsoon rain overwhelmed swathes of the three countries this week, killing hundreds and leaving thousands stranded, many on rooftops awaiting rescue.
Rescuers in Indonesia were struggling to reach the worst-affected areas of Sumatra island, where more than 100 people were still missing.
Flooding and landslides in Indonesia have killed more than 200 people, according to figures from the disaster authorities.
“As of tonight, 61 fatalities have been recorded, and 90 are still being searched for,” West Sumatra Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Ilham Wahab said late Friday.
National Disaster agency (BNPB) head Suharyanto told a news conference that a cloud seeding operation would begin in West Sumatra to reduce the rainfall, most of which had already subsided yesterday.
In southern Thailand water levels reached three metres in Songkhla province and killed at least 145 people in one of the worst floods in a decade.
Workers at one hospital in hard-hit Hat Yai moved bodies into refrigerated trucks after the morgue exceeded capacity.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul visited a shelter for evacuees in the district on Friday.
“I really have to apologise to them for letting this happen during the time I am in government,” he told reporters in footage broadcast on AmarinTV.
“The next step is to prevent the situation from deteriorating,” he added, announcing a two-week timeframe for the clean-up.
The Thai government rolled out relief measures for those affected by the flooding, including compensation of up to two million baht (RM256,000) for households that lost family members.
There has been growing public criticism of Thailand’s flood response and two local officials have been suspended over their alleged failures.
Two people were killed in Malaysia by flooding caused by heavy rain that left stretches of northern Perlis state under water.
The annual monsoon season, typically between June and September, often brings heavy rain, triggering landslides and flash floods.
A tropical storm has exacerbated conditions, and the tolls in Indonesia and Thailand rank among the highest in floods in those countries in recent years.
Climate change has affected storm patterns, leading to heavier rainfall, flash flooding and stronger wind gusts. — AFP
