Floods across Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia kill more than 1,400

More than 1,400 people have been killed across Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia after days of heavy rain triggered severe flooding and landslides. Three cyclones formed in the same week across South and Southeast Asia, contributing to the intense rainfall that overwhelmed drainage systems in several countries.

Indonesia accounts for the largest share of casualties after entire villages on Sumatra were landslides leveled homes, buried vehicles and severed links between towns. Rescue teams traveling on foot and by helicopter are working to enter areas cut off by collapsed bridges and washed-out highways. Local agencies report that 1.5 million residents have been displaced and about 650 people are still unaccounted for in North Sumatra, West Sumatra and Aceh provinces.

Sri Lanka’s disaster agency said hundreds of communities across southern and central regions remain inundated after storm driven rains overwhelmed drainage systems and hillside settlements. Emergency crews are clearing mud and debris from key transport routes that connect rural villages to larger towns. Hospitals in affected districts continue to receive injured residents as workers search for people unaccounted for in mountainous areas.

Thailand and Malaysia have reported widespread flooding in several southern and northern provinces where rising rivers forced evacuations and damaged homes, schools and public infrastructure. Thai officials noted ongoing power outages and road closures in parts of the south as crews repair transmission lines and flooded road surfaces. In Malaysia, authorities opened additional evacuation centers in northern states after water inundated low lying communities and restricted access to rural healthcare and relief sites.

The floods follow months of severe weather across Southeast Asia where Vietnam and the Philippines have recently experienced deadly inundations during periods of heavier than normal rain. Regional climatologists report that warmer sea surface temperatures and shifting monsoon patterns have intensified rainfall across wide areas in recent seasons. Officials in both countries are reviewing current flood data to evaluate the role of changing climate conditions in driving more frequent and severe flooding.