The death toll from flooding and landslides caused by heavy rains has risen to more than 600 in three Southeast Asian countries, Reuters reported on Sunday, citing regional officials, as relief efforts for tens of thousands of displaced people continued over the weekend.
A rare tropical storm in the Straits of Malacca has caused widespread damage in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, bringing heavy rain and gusty winds for a week. Indonesia reported 435 deaths, Thailand 170 and Malaysia 3 deaths.
Rescue and relief officials in Southeast Asian countries were still trying to access many flood-hit areas on Sunday, even as the waters receded and tens of thousands of people were evacuated in three countries. More than 4 million people have been affected, according to official figures, including around 3 million in southern Thailand and 1.1 million in western Indonesia.
Indonesia’s death toll jumped to 435 on Sunday from 303 on Saturday, according to official data uploaded to a government website. Government officials have compiled reports of casualties and damage pouring in from West Sumatra, where three provinces were ravaged by landslides and floods after the rains.
Road closures have cut off traffic in many areas and damaged communications infrastructure, disrupting communications. Relief and rescue teams used helicopters to deliver aid to people in areas unreachable by road.
According to official figures, 406 people remain missing and 213,000 people are reported to have been evacuated.
Thailand’s Ministry of Health announced that 170 people have died from flooding in southern Thailand, an increase of eight from Saturday, and 102 people have been injured. Songkhla province had the highest number of deaths at 131 people.
Last Friday, 335 millimeters (13 inches) of rain fell in Hat Yai, the largest city in Songkhla province, during consecutive days of heavy rain, the highest rainfall amount in a single day in 300 years.
Approximately 18,700 people are still in evacuation centers in neighboring Malaysia, according to the country’s National Disaster Management Agency.
Meteorological authorities lifted the tropical storm and persistent rain warning on Saturday, with clear skies expected for most parts of the country.