Death toll from flooding on Sumatra island passes 800

The death toll from floods and landslides on the Indonesian island of Sumatra has climbed to 811, with another 623 people still unaccounted for.

The updated figures were released by Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) in the early evening of December 3 (GMT+7), Caliber.Az reports.

According to the agency, the disaster was triggered by more than a week of relentless heavy rain. Mudflows destroyed homes, roads, and key infrastructure, severely hampering rescue teams’ access to the worst-affected areas.

Across Indonesia, 3.2 million people have been affected, while 2,600 have been injured. An estimated one million residents have been evacuated from high-risk zones.

Heavy monsoon rains and tropical cyclones have also ravaged parts of Sri Lanka and southern Thailand, leaving more than 1,300 people dead across the region, damaging infrastructure, and flooding towns.

In its press release, the BNPB reported receiving 40 tons of relief supplies on December 2, coordinated by the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs. The shipment included food, drinking water, and medical equipment, all designated for distribution across the three hardest-hit provinces.

The World Health Organisation announced that it is deploying rapid response teams and critical supplies to the region and is enhancing disease surveillance efforts.

By Nazrin Sadigova