Jakarta, Nov 29 (IANS) A total of 303 people died and 279 remain missing after flash floods and landslides struck three provinces in Indonesia’s Sumatra region, the country’s National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) said on Saturday.
BNPB Chief Suharyanto told a press conference that North Sumatra suffered the highest number of casualties, with 166 deaths and 143 people still unaccounted for. In West Sumatra, 90 people were confirmed dead and 85 missing, while in Aceh, 47 fatalities were recorded and 51 people remained missing.
He chaired a coordination meeting with BNPB units deployed in the three hardest-hit provinces, emphasising that operations must be intensified as weather conditions in the affected areas begin to improve, Xinhua news agency reported.
He noted that the agency is prioritising three urgent tasks: conducting search and rescue operations for those still missing, restoring disrupted communication access, and ensuring the swift delivery of logistics to affected residents.
Meanwhile, the death toll from severe flooding in southern Thailand is also nearing 150, local authorities have said as water levels begin to recede and rescue operations continue.
During a press briefing, government spokesperson Siripong Angkasakulkiat said that fatalities have been reported across eight southern provinces, with Songkhla recording the highest toll at 110.
According to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, the widespread southern flooding has affected an estimated 3.54 million people, even though water levels in several areas have receded.
Hat Yai, the worst-hit city, received the heaviest rainfall in years during an intense monsoon earlier this week, prompting the government to declare a state of emergency in Songkhla province to streamline evacuation and rescue efforts.
–IANS
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