Over 500 Dead as Floods and Landslides Devastate Southeast Asia: Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia Face Crisis

In Indonesia, relief and rescue teams deployed helicopters to deliver crucial aid to isolated communities. (File)

The death toll has surpassed 500 from devastating floods and landslides triggered by torrential rains across three Southeast Asian countries, according to officials on Sunday, as relief operations for tens of thousands of displaced individuals continued throughout the weekend.

Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand experienced widespread destruction following an unusual tropical storm that formed in the Malacca Strait, bringing heavy rainfall and powerful wind gusts for a week. Indonesia reported 336 fatalities, Thailand confirmed 170 deaths, and Malaysia recorded two casualties.

Rescue and relief personnel across the Southeast Asian nations were still struggling to access numerous flood-affected regions on Sunday, even as floodwaters began receding and tens of thousands of people were evacuated throughout the three countries. Official statistics indicate over 4 million individuals have been impacted - approximately 3 million in southern Thailand and 1.1 million in western Indonesia.

In a separate disaster across the Bay of Bengal, authorities reported that a cyclone in Sri Lanka claimed 153 lives, with 191 people missing and more than half a million affected nationwide.

In Indonesia, emergency teams utilized helicopters to deliver supplies to communities isolated by blocked roadways on the western island of Sumatra, where three provinces were severely impacted by landslides and floods following the heavy rainfall.

From a navy helicopter flying over the cut-off town of Palembayan in West Sumatra, a Reuters photographer observed extensive areas of land and homes washed away by floodwaters. As the helicopter touched down in a soccer field, dozens of residents were already gathered nearby waiting for food supplies.

Officials reported on Saturday that desperate residents had begun looting supply lines in some areas as they awaited relief assistance.

According to government figures, 289 individuals remained missing and 213,000 were displaced in Indonesia.

Thailand's Ministry of Public Health updated the death count from flooding in the southern regions to 170, an increase of eight from Saturday's report, along with 102 injuries. Songkhla Province suffered the highest number of fatalities at 131.

Hat Yai, Songkhla's largest city, received 335 mm (13 inches) of rainfall last Friday, marking its highest single-day precipitation total in 300 years, amid days of continuous downpours.

In neighboring Malaysia, approximately 24,500 people remained in evacuation centers, according to the country's national disaster management agency. Meteorological authorities lifted tropical storm and continuous rain warnings on Saturday, forecasting improved weather conditions for most of the country.

Parts of Malaysia experienced severe rainfall and winds last week. The foreign ministry reported it had evacuated over 6,200 Malaysian nationals who had been stranded in Thailand.

On Sunday, the ministry issued an advisory urging Malaysian citizens residing in Indonesia's West Sumatra to register with the local consulate for assistance. It also reported that a 30-year-old Malaysian had been listed as missing following a landslide in the area.