Floods caused by torrential rains in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia are repeated and are causing more deaths compared to other bad weather.
In the three countries, images of flooded cities, populations surrounded by water and landslides caused by torrential rain that has been falling for several days are repeated.
These floods have already caused around 350 deaths, according to the most recent assessment made today by local authorities.
Indonesia’s disaster agency recorded more than 200 deaths, while the Thai government reported that 145 people died in the south of the country and Malaysian authorities recorded two victims.
In Indonesia, the province of North Sumatra is the most affected, with 116 deaths. In West Sumatra, the number of victims almost tripled, from 23 to 61, with “90 people still missing”, according to the spokesperson for the regional disaster management agency, Ilham Wahab. In Aceh province, at least 35 people died.
Rescue teams are today trying to reach the most seriously affected areas of the island of Sumatra.
In Thailand, “the total number of deaths in the southern provinces amounts to 145”, declared on Friday the Government spokesman, Siripong Angkasakulkiat, specifying that more than 100 people died in the province of Songkhla alone.
The waters rose up to three meters in this region, which suffered one of the worst floods of the decade. Meanwhile, several refrigerated trucks were mobilized to store the bodies of the victims.
On Friday, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul visited a shelter in the hard-hit Hat Yai district.
“I really have to apologize for letting this happen while I’m in Government,” he told the AmarinTV channel, adding that “the next step is to prevent the situation from deteriorating” and adding that cleaning the district would take two weeks.
The Government announced compensation of up to 62 thousand dollars for families who lost members in these disasters.
Public dissatisfaction is increasing in Thailand regarding the management of the situation, with two local officials being suspended for alleged failures.
In neighboring Malaysia, two people died due to flooding in the state of Perlis (north). The monsoon season, which generally runs from June to September, is often synonymous with heavy rainfall in the region, with risks of landslides and flash floods.
In Indonesia and Thailand, the number of fatalities is among the worst in recent years due to floods.
Furthermore, in South Asia, Sri Lanka also suffered torrential rains this week, brought by cyclone Ditwah, which is moving towards India.
The island’s Disaster Management Center today reported at least 123 deaths in floods and landslides, with around 44,000 people displaced.
The Government requested international assistance and appealed to its citizens abroad to make donations to support the approximately 500,000 people affected.
The worst floods of the century in Sri Lanka, in 2003, caused 254 deaths.
According to scientists, global warming caused by human activity makes extreme weather events more frequent, deadlier and more destructive.
For each additional degree, the atmosphere can contain 7% more humidity, with more intense precipitation, experts warn.