Flooding in Indonesia, Thailand and Sri Lanka kills more than 1,160 people as recovery efforts continue
In short:
More than 1,160 people have been killed by extreme weather events across Asia.
Authorities in Indonesia are scrambling to help residents of Sumatra, after flooding killed nearly 600 people.
Sri Lanka and Thailand are also moving to support those effected by deadly flood events.
Indonesia's president has called for more action to confront climate change as countries across Asia grapple with the aftermath of extreme weather events that have killed more than 1,000 people.
Almost 600 people have been killed on the Indonesian island of Sumatra alone, after devastating flash flooding and landslides brought by monsoonal rain and Cyclone Senyar.
On Monday night, Indonesia's National Disaster Agency (BNPB) said 593 people had been killed, with more than 450 people still missing.
Sri Lanka is also grappling with the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, which killed at least 390 people in the worst flooding seen in the country in decades.
At least 176 people died in Thailand's south, where severe flooding affected some 4 million people and 1.5 million households.
Locals are returning to scenes of devastation across Sumatra. (Reuters: Willy Kurniawan)
More than half a million people have been displaced by the widespread flooding and devastation across the provinces of North Sumatra, West Sumatra and Aceh.
Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto visited North Sumatra on Monday, with further visits to flood-ravaged Sumatra likely.
"There are roads that are still cut off, but we're doing everything we can to overcome difficulties," he said in North Sumatra.
"We face this disaster with resilience and solidarity. Our nation is strong right now, able to overcome this."
He said more needed to be done to address climate change.
"We need to confront climate change effectively," Mr Prabowo told reporters.
"Local governments must take a significant role in safeguarding the environment and preparing for the extreme weather conditions that will arise from future climate change."
Civil society groups in Indonesia have been urging the president and the national government to declare a state of emergency, to improve and better facilitate relief efforts.
Rainfall has eased in Sumatra, providing some minor relief to rescue crews and authorities, who are desperately trying to clear roads for supplies and restore communication networks.
Many communities, especially in Aceh, remain cut off.
Entire villages have been destroyed in North Sumatra. (AP Photo: Binsar Bakkara)
In North Aceh, 28-year-old Misbahul Munir described walking through water that reached his neck to get back to his parents.
"Everything in the house was destroyed because it was submerged," he told AFP.
"I have only the clothes I am wearing," he said in tears.
"In other places, there were a lot of people who died. We are grateful that we are healthy."
Heavy machinery has been unable to access some of the hardest hit areas.
Rescuers from Basarnas, Indonesia's search and rescue service, have been digging through landslides with simple tools and their bare hands, retrieving bodies and desperately searching for survivors.
"BNPB is prioritising search and rescue, basic needs, and the restoration of transport and communications," BNPB said in a statement.
'Most challenging' disaster in Sri Lanka's history
Sri Lankan authorities said on Monday they were still searching for 352 people missing after downpours flooded homes, triggered landslides and flooded fields and roads.
About 218,000 people are in emergency accommodation, with authorities working to deliver aid and clear roads.
The government has called for international aid and was relying on helicopters to reach those most in need.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who declared a state of emergency to deal with the disaster, called the flooding the "largest and most challenging natural disaster in our history".
Officials said train and flight services resumed after they were disrupted last week, although schools stayed closed.
People were salvaging belongings from their homes that had been inundated.
People are grappling with the aftermath of the cyclone across Sri Lanka. (Reuters: Thilina Kaluthotage)
Cyclone Ditwah also brought significant rain to India's south, where three people were killed in Tamil Nadu.
In Thailand, the first batch of compensation payments are set to be distributed Monday, beginning with 239 million baht ($11.4 million) for 26,000 people, government spokesperson Siripong Angkasakulkiat said.
He said authorities on Monday worked to clean up streets and restore infrastructure including water and electricity in the southern part of the country, where severe flooding affected more than 1.5 million households and 3.9 million people.
The Interior Ministry will set up public kitchens to provide freshly cooked food for affected residents, he said.
Across the border in Malaysia, where heavy rains also inundated large stretches of land in Perlis state, two people were killed.
The annual monsoon season often brings heavy rain, triggering landslides and flash floods.
But the flooding that hit Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia was also exacerbated by a rare tropical storm that dumped heavy rain on Sumatra island in particular.
ABC/wires