Indonesia flood death toll exceeds 500

The death toll from floods that hit Indonesia last week has now climbed to more than 500, with rescuers still struggling to reach affected areas.

Floods caused by a rare cyclone that formed over the Strait of Malacca have hit three provinces, affecting about 1.4 million people, according to the government’s disaster relief agency.

Another 500 people are still missing and thousands more injured.

Indonesia is just one of the regions in Asia hit by heavy rains and storms in recent days, with deaths also reported in Thailand, Malaysia and Sri Lanka.

In Indonesia, the provinces of Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra have been hardest hit, with thousands of people still without power and without vital supplies.

Arini Amalia, a resident of Acepi Dijaya regency, told the BBC the flooding was “like a tsunami”.

“According to my grandmother, it was the worst thing that ever happened to her,” Amalia said.

With many roads impassable to large vehicles, aid workers have been trying to reach victims on foot and on motorcycles.

Photos from the area showed washed-out bridges, roads covered in mud and debris and logs piled high.

As floodwaters swept through the landmark Twin Bridges in West Sumatra, depositing vast amounts of mud and debris, Mariana watched as excavators cleared the road in the hope they would find her missing family members, including her 15-year-old son.

“Watching the excavator and seeing how thick the dirt was… I kept thinking, what will my child look like when he’s found?” she said. “Is he still intact? My mother, my brother-in-law… look here, maybe their faces are unrecognizable.”

Many people are still waiting for food aid, and some say they haven’t eaten in two or three days.

Mesanti, who lives in central Tapanuri, one of the worst-hit areas in North Sumatra, told the BBC it was difficult for aid workers to reach her area.

“Everything is gone; our food supply is running out. We can’t eat,” she said. “Even instant noodles are being fought for now. Our food is gone; we need food and rice. We are completely cut off.”

She said she had to walk several kilometers from her home to get an internet connection and basic necessities such as clean water.

In central Aceh, where local authorities provided Starlink devices, thousands of people lined up outside county offices on Sunday night hoping to contact loved ones or charge their phones.

“There has been no signal for five days. We have been waiting since yesterday in case the network was restored. I planned to call my mother in Banda Aceh, but until now I still can’t reach her,” said a resident named Mar.

As relief efforts continue, anger over the government’s response has begun to grow.

Critics say authorities were ill-prepared for the floods. Some blame bureaucratic red tape for slowing the distribution of food aid.

President Prabowo Subianto, who was visiting some flood-affected areas in North Sumatra province on Monday, acknowledged that some roads were still cut but added that “we are doing everything we can to overcome the difficulties”.

“We face this disaster with resilience and solidarity,” he continued. “Our country is now strong and capable of overcoming this problem.”