Over 1,500 dead after torrential rains – hundreds missing

TT

Published 14.16

 

Survivors receive emergency aid in Aceh province on the Indonesian island of Sumatra on Thursday. Photo: Reza Saifullah/AP/TT

The death toll rises to over 1,500 people after last week's catastrophic floods in several countries in Asia.

In Indonesia, over 800 have been confirmed dead by the authorities, in Sri Lanka well over 450 and in Thailand 185.

Several villages in both Sri Lanka and Indonesia are buried under mud and rubble. At the same time, over 860 people are still missing in the countries.

In Indonesia, demands are increasing for the government to act, after warnings from activist groups that decades of unregulated deforestation may have worsened the devastation.

“We don't want this costly disaster to happen again,” says Rangga Adiputra, whose home on the island of Sumatra has been washed away.