At least 56 people have died, and 21 others have gone missing in 10 days of massive flooding and landslides across Sri Lanka, local media has reported.Rescue operations continue in hard-hit areas as the island country remains under severe weather conditions, including heavy rainfall, rising floodwaters, and landslides since November 17, disrupting life across multiple districts, the local newspaper Daily Mirror reported on Friday.According to the Disaster Management Center, 14 people have been injured, while more than 43,991 individuals across 17 districts have been severely affected.
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has ordered the deployment of over 20,000 military personnel to support rescue efforts, according to the Daily Mirror.
The Batticaloa district has seen over 300 millimetres of rainfall, an exceptionally high amount for a single period. A low-pressure system has generated heavy winds and repeated waves of intense rainfall over the country.
Authorities have issued a red-alert landslide warning for eight high-risk districts and urged residents to stay alert and prepare for possible evacuation.
Indonesia
In neighbouring Indonesia, severe floods and landslides on the island of Sumatra have killed at least 62 people and displaced thousands, Jakarta Globe reported on Thursday.
North Sumatra has been the worst-hit, with 37 deaths, while 12 fatalities were confirmed in West Sumatra. In Bener Meriah Regency in Aceh, 13 people were killed, and 12 remain missing due to flash floods and landslides since Wednesday.
Ilham Abdi, head of the Bener Meriah Communications and Information Agency, said assessing the full scale of destruction has been difficult due to widespread power outages and communication disruptions. Some residential areas remain submerged under up to three metres of water, complicating rescue efforts.
Thailand
Thailand is also grappling with deadly flooding. The death toll in the country’s southern provinces has risen to 87, according to a government statement on Friday, with more than one million households nationwide affected, the Bangkok Post reported.
Teerapat Kachamat, director-general of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, said severe flooding continues across 105 districts in nine southern provinces, affecting over 2.9 million people. Emergency teams have been deployed to assist evacuations and distribute essential supplies, including food, water, mobile kitchens, purification units, and rescue boats.
The Flood Crisis Operations Center earlier urged residents to evacuate when alerted, as the weather crisis in Southern Thailand could worsen.
Thailand’s Meteorological Department has also issued new alerts for heavy to very heavy rainfall in the region. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul declared a state of emergency in Songkhla, appointing the supreme commander of the Royal Thai Armed Forces to lead the response effort.
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Source: TRT