Jakarta: The death toll from floods caused by Cyclone Ditoah that struck various parts of Asia has exceeded 1,000. Authorities in Sri Lanka and Indonesia, the two hardest-hit countries, have deployed military forces to assist survivors.
According to Qatar News Agency, the death toll in Indonesia has reached at least 502, with more than 500 still missing. This is the highest number of victims of a natural disaster in the country in years. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, who arrived in North Sumatra, stated that the government's priority is how to send the necessary aid immediately. The government has dispatched three warships loaded with aid and two medical vessels to some of the worst-affected areas.
The Sri Lankan government appealed to the international community for assistance and deployed military helicopters to reach those stranded by the floods and landslides triggered by Cyclone Detwah. Sri Lankan officials reported at least 340 deaths, with many still missing, after the floodwaters reached their peak. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who declared a state of emergency to address the disaster, pledged to repair the damage.
Meanwhile, in Thailand, floods caused by heavy rains killed at least 176 people in the south, making it one of the deadliest floods in the country in the past decade, according to the government.