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Floods claim over 900 lives in Indonesia
The number of fatalities from last week's devastating floods in Indonesia has surpassed 900, with hundreds more unaccounted for, authorities confirmed on Sunday. A rare cyclone over the Malacca Strait triggered catastrophic rainfall, submerging entire communities and triggering deadly landslides across Southeast Asia.
Survivors recount harrowing escapes
In Aceh Tamiang, one of the worst-affected regions, residents described villages being obliterated by surging waters. Fitriana, a survivor from Lintang Bawah Village, told the BBC Indonesian service that families clung to rooftops for days without food or water. "About 90% of homes here are gone," she said. "Three hundred families have nowhere left to go."
Another survivor recounted a desperate evacuation after floodwaters rose to the second floor of his home. "We fled by boat, only to be forced out again when the next village flooded," he said. "That night, water soaked our mattresses as we slept. We had no choice but to climb to the upper floor of a relative's house to survive."
Aid struggles to reach isolated areas
Rescue teams are battling to access remote regions still cut off by mud and debris. The governor of Aceh reported that search crews are wading through "waist-deep" mud to recover bodies, while airdrops remain the only lifeline for some communities. "People aren't drowning-they're starving," he told AFP. "Entire areas remain unreachable."
Inmates from a flooded prison were released after rising waters threatened the facility, officials said, citing a lack of alternative shelter. Meanwhile, land routes to Sibolga City and Central Tapanuli remain impassable, with aid arriving only by air or sea.
Looting and regional crisis
Local media reported looting at supermarkets in flooded zones, as desperation grows. The disaster is part of a broader wave of extreme weather across Asia, with combined fatalities in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam nearing 2,000 in recent weeks.
Ongoing threats and recovery
With hundreds still missing, authorities warn of secondary risks, including disease outbreaks and food shortages. "The priority is reaching those stranded before conditions worsen," a disaster agency spokesperson said.
