(DDM) — A catastrophic wave of floods, landslides, storms and cyclones has torn through several Asian countries, leaving more than 1,700 people dead and hundreds still missing as emergency workers struggle to reach devastated communities.
DDM gathered that Indonesia has recorded the highest casualties, with the nation facing one of its worst natural disasters in modern history as rescue operations continue across isolated provinces submerged by days of extreme weather.
Authorities confirm that the scale of destruction remains uncertain, as heavy rains, collapsed bridges and washed-out roads have cut off entire regions from outside help.
Officials report that Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency recorded at least 916 deaths on Sumatra Island alone, where communities were overwhelmed by massive floods and deadly landslides.
The agency further stated that 274 people remain missing while more than 4,200 have sustained varying degrees of injuries.
Over 3.2 million residents have been directly affected across multiple provinces, with more than one million people forced to evacuate from North Sumatra, West Sumatra and Aceh.
The Indonesian government said the impact is so severe that the country’s defence and disaster response capabilities must be immediately upgraded.
President Prabowo Subianto has therefore announced plans to purchase up to 200 helicopters by 2026 to strengthen national capacity for rapid deployment, evacuation and humanitarian relief.
He said the government is prepared to mobilise every available resource, including military aircraft, to ensure a more coordinated response to future emergencies.
Across South Asia, the destruction has spread beyond Indonesia to Sri Lanka, Thailand, India and Malaysia, with each country grappling with severe weather linked to a series of rare cyclones and intense monsoon rainfall.
Sri Lanka’s Disaster Management Centre reports that Cyclone Ditwah has claimed 618 lives, with another 209 people still unaccounted for since it struck on November 17.
The United Nations confirmed that southern Thailand has recorded at least 185 deaths, with 367 people missing as rescue teams attempt to reach communities trapped by rising floodwaters.
India has recorded four deaths linked to the storms, while Malaysia has reported three fatalities following persistent rainfall and flash floods.
Meteorologists believe the disaster in Indonesia intensified after a rare cyclone formed over the Malacca Strait, driving torrential rain inland and triggering massive landslides that buried homes, farmlands and public infrastructure.
Authorities say more than 100,000 houses have been destroyed across Indonesia, leaving survivors scattered across temporary shelters while aid groups attempt to navigate inaccessible terrain.
Aid agencies have resorted to airdropping food supplies and medicine into remote villages where residents remain stranded without water, electricity or communication.
In Aceh Tamiang, one of the hardest-hit districts, survivors described watching entire blocks of homes disappear beneath raging water within minutes.
A resident of Lintang Bawah Village told BBC Indonesian that many families survived only by climbing onto rooftops for several days without food or water.
The resident added that roughly 90 percent of homes in the village were washed away, leaving more than 300 families homeless.
Another survivor recounted escaping by boat after floodwaters reached the second floor of his home, only for his family to be displaced again after water inundated the home where they had taken refuge.
Local authorities say many rescue workers are digging through waist-deep mud as they search for bodies and attempt to recover stranded residents.
The Aceh governor warned that the humanitarian situation is becoming increasingly desperate as remote communities face shortages of food, clean water and medical care.
He said several villages remain untouched by relief operations, adding that some people are dying not from floodwater but from starvation.
Indonesian media also reported that inmates from a flooded prison were temporarily released after authorities were unable to find a safe place to relocate them.
As of Sunday, land access to Sibolga City and Central Tapanuli was completely cut off, with aid reaching those areas only through air and sea routes.
Local reports show that some communities have begun experiencing looting as survivors struggle to find basic necessities.
Officials warn that the death toll is likely to rise as search-and-rescue missions continue in the coming days.
