Heavy storms in Southeast Asia kill more than 600

Jakarta: Torrential rains and landslides that have battered Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia for the past week have claimed the lives of more than 600 people.

According to news agencies, the disaster has affected over 4 million people across the three countries. In Indonesia, 442 people have died, 170 in Thailand, and 2 in Malaysia. A cyclone forming over the Strait of Malacca has intensified stormy rains and strong winds over the past week.

In Indonesia’s western province of Sumatra, landslides and flooding have severely impacted three districts. Rescue teams are delivering relief supplies to remote areas via helicopters.

Afri Anti, a 41-year-old woman from Padang, West Sumatra, said, “Water suddenly entered our home. We ran in fear. When we returned, the house was destroyed. Only one wall remains. We are now living next to it in a tent. Our shop is gone too—nothing is left.”

So far, 289 people are reported missing in Indonesia, and 213,000 have been displaced. In Thailand’s Songkhla province, 131 deaths have been reported, with the city of Hat Yai recording 335mm of rain last Friday—its highest single-day rainfall in 300 years. In Malaysia, 24,500 people remain in relief camps.