More than 1,300 deaths in Southeast Asia due to severe flooding

BarcelonaSevere flooding across South and Southeast Asia has already claimed the lives of at least 1,332 people, mostly in Indonesia and Sri Lanka. Authorities in the four affected countries, including Thailand and Malaysia, are continuing their efforts to rescue trapped citizens, search for bodies buried in mud, and restore power and communications as floodwaters begin to recede.

While heavy rains are common at this time of year, residents and experts agree that this episode has been particularly destructive. Meteorologists say this year's monsoon season has been unusually intense, partly due to La Niña, which pushes warm Pacific waters into East Asia and creates favorable conditions for storm formation. Scientists also warned that climate change intensifies tropical cyclones, as warmer water temperatures provide more energy to fuel storms.

More than 700 deaths in Indonesia

The island of Sumatra, in western Indonesia, has been the hardest hit by the storm caused by the cyclone. SignIndonesian authorities have confirmed that torrential rains have affected approximately 1.5 million people, with at least 708 deaths and some 570,000 forced to evacuate their homes. Land access remains blocked in several areas, necessitating rescue operations and the delivery of humanitarian aid by helicopters and light aircraft. Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency estimates that some 464 people are missing, while more than 28,000 homes have been damaged nationwide.

"There are still roads cut off, but we are doing everything possible to overcome the difficulties," Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto said on Monday during a visit to North Sumatra. In the country, Subianto's handling of the crisis is facing increasing criticism, as he has not declared a state of emergency, a measure that would allow more aid to arrive more quickly.

In Tapanuli, the epicenter of the floods on the island, some residents have looted stores in search of food, and in Aceh, in the northwest of the island, another of the hardest-hit areas, humanitarian aid has yet to arrive and residents report that they have been without food for three days.

In several municipalities, hundreds of people continue to clear streets covered in mud, trees, and debris, while some residents try to salvage valuables. At the same time, pickup trucks full of people travel through the affected areas searching for missing relatives.

Impact in Sri Lanka

The death toll in Sri Lanka has risen to 355, according to the latest figures from the Disaster Management Centre. In this country alone, torrential rains have affected more than 1.1 million people, and 196,790 have been forced to leave their homes while authorities work to relocate them to temporary shelters.

The President of Sri Lanka has warned that the country is facing "the largest and most complex natural disaster in our history" and has called on the international community for assistance, especially to ensure access to clean water, one of the main problems facing the affected population.

The cyclone DitwahThe storm, responsible for the hurricane and now moving towards India with less intensity, has left entire cities submerged and emergency services overwhelmed. Despite days of rescue operations, teams are still having difficulty accessing some areas and locating at least 300 missing people.

Nearly 4 million affected in Thailand

At least 176 people have died in Thailand, most of them in the southern province of Songkhla, where floodwaters rose to three meters and at least 145 people lost their lives. According to official figures, nearly 3.8 million people have been affected by the heavy rains, and more than one million homes have suffered varying degrees of damage. Millions of people are still without basic services, including electricity and drinking water. Rescue efforts are now focused primarily on Hat Yai, the economic hub of southern Thailand, where the government has mobilized army units, boats, helicopters, and rescue teams to expedite evacuations, clear debris, and restore communication routes. Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has set a seven-day deadline for residents to gradually return to their homes, provided conditions allow. In neighboring Malaysia, three people have died and 11,600 are being housed in evacuation centers, according to the national disaster management agency, which remains on alert for the possibility of a second and third wave of flooding. The storm has moved towards Vietnam, where it has already caused at least 90 deaths, marking the fourteenth typhoon to hit the country this year. Just a few decades ago, the annual average of such storms was five.