JAKARTA: Indonesia's national disaster agency sharply increased the death toll from catastrophic floods and landslides on the island of Sumatra on Monday (Dec 1), with at least 604 people reported dead so far.
The scale of the disaster has become more apparent since torrential rains battered large parts of Sumatra last week, overwhelming rivers, triggering landslides and submerging entire districts.
The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) said that 464 people were still missing and 2,600 had been injured.
More than 1.5 million residents have been affected, and roughly 570,000 people have fled their homes, many sheltering in crowded public buildings with limited access to clean water and electricity, the agency said.
The worst devastation has been reported in North Sumatra Province, where at least 283 people were confirmed dead.
Officials recorded 165 deaths in West Sumatra, while 156 people were killed in Aceh Province, on Sumatra's northern tip.
Local governments have struggled to restore communications and reach communities cut off by collapsed bridges, washed-out roads and damaged power lines, BNPB said.
Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, is one of the world's most disaster-prone countries.
Seasonal rains frequently cause floods and landslides, but officials say the impacts have intensified as rapid deforestation, urban expansion and extreme weather events increase.
Emergency teams sent by the central government, the military and local disaster agencies have been deployed across the region, but access remains a major challenge, officials said. - dpa
