Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Death Toll Tops 1,800 in Asia Floods as Fresh Rains Threaten Sri Lanka and Indonesia

Indonesia resists a national disaster declaration despite mounting pressure.

Overview

  • Authorities report at least 1,812 deaths across Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, including 950 dead and about 5,000 injured in Sumatra and 618 dead in Sri Lanka.
  • Sri Lanka issues new warnings for landslides and heavy rain as monsoon storms return, with 209 people still missing and more than two million affected.
  • Indonesia’s Aceh and northern Sumatra face renewed downpours that hinder search and relief efforts, with cut-off villages reporting shortages of food, safe water and medical personnel.
  • President Prabowo Subianto visits Aceh and pledges to repair damaged bridges within one to two weeks, but the government has not declared a national disaster despite calls from survivors.
  • Colombo seeks international assistance, receives an aid flight from Myanmar, advances cash grants for survivors, and estimates reconstruction needs at up to $7 billion, while Indonesia’s BNPB pegs Sumatra recovery at roughly $3.1 billion.