The agency announced at a press conference late Tuesday that the death toll since last week was 708, lower than the 753 it announced on its website the same day. The reason for the discrepancy was not disclosed, Reuters reported.
Nearly 900 people were killed in devastating floods and landslides in Indonesia, and frequent and prolonged flooding elsewhere followed months of severe weather in Southeast Asia, including a spate of typhoons that hit the Philippines and Vietnam.
Environmental experts and local officials say deforestation in Sumatra is causing a disproportionate number of deaths.
Indonesia’s Disaster Agency said teams were prioritizing the distribution of aid by land, sea and air, clearing closed roads and repairing damaged infrastructure.
Spokesperson Abdul Muhari said, “We hope that logistics will be speeded up.”
Master’s/Ph.D.