The death toll in Indonesia from recent flooding has surpassed 900, with hundreds still reported missing.
More than 100,000 homes were destroyed when a rarity of powerful cyclones formed over the Malaca Strait last week, unleashing torrential rain and landslides across the region.
Efforts to reach individuals trapped in affected areas continue, with aid needing to be airdropped to some locations.
This calamity is part of a series of extreme weather events across Asia, with the combined death toll in affected countries like Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam nearing 2,000.
In the Aceh Tamiang region, one of the hardest-hit areas, survivors share horrifying accounts of entire villages swept away by rapid floods. A local resident described how she and her family survived by climbing onto their home's roof for three days without food or water.
The individual recounted, Around 90% of the homes in my village were decimated, leaving 300 families without shelter. Another survivor mentioned their evacuation by boat while floodwaters rose dramatically, forcing them to seek refuge in a two-level house for safety.
The regional governor indicated that search and rescue operations are ongoing, with many areas still unreachable. He stated, People are not succumbing to the floods but to starvation. That is the unfortunate truth. The challenges include reports of inmates being released from prisons due to flooding threats, as there were no alternatives for housing them.
Access to two regions remains impeded, with Sibolga City and Central Tapanuli receiving aid solely via airborne and marine routes as of Sunday.
The devastation has also led to looting incidents in local supermarkets amid deteriorating conditions.
