Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia hit by the flood
The provisional death toll from floods caused by torrential rains in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia rose to 467 today, according to the latest data from local authorities. In all three countries the same images of flooded cities are shared, with people trapped by the waters and landslides caused by the flood that has been hitting for several days.
Indonesia’s disaster agency reported more than 300 deaths, the Thai government reported 162 people killed in the south of the country, while Malaysian authorities recorded two victims. In Indonesia, 166 people lost their lives in the province of North Sumatra, 47 in Aceh and 90 in West Sumatra, announced the head of the agency, Suharyanto.
Today rescuers are trying to reach the most affected areas of Sumatra. Around 270 people are still missing on the island. “This is the worst flooding our village has ever experienced,” said Novia, 30, a resident of Aceh’s Pidie village, as she cleared mud from her house. “There have been floods before… but it has never been like this.” In Thailand, “the total number of deaths in the seven affected provinces has reached 162, including 126 in Songkhla”, the most affected province, government spokesman Siripong Angkasakulkiat announced in a press conference.
Water levels have risen to three meters in this region, which has suffered one of the worst floods in ten years. To relieve pressure on overcrowded morgues, refrigerated trucks were used to store victims’ bodies.
