In brief
Recent floods in Indonesia, triggered by a powerful cyclone, have caused over 900 deaths and left hundreds missing. Approximately 100,000 homes have been destroyed, with ongoing efforts to provide aid to affected regions. Survivors recount harrowing experiences and the dire need for basic necessities amidst ongoing rescue operations.
The death toll in Indonesia from recent flooding has passed 900, with hundreds still missing.
More than 100,000 homes were destroyed when a rare and powerful cyclone formed over the Malaca Strait last week, bringing torrential rain and landslides to parts of the South East Asian country.
Efforts to reach people in areas still cut off are ongoing, with aid having to be airdropped into some places.
The Indonesia floods were one of several extreme weather events to hit Asia in recent weeks, with the cumulative death toll in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam approaching 2,000.
In Aceh Tamiang, one of the hardest-hit areas of Indonesia, survivors described villages being entirely swept away by fast-moving deluges. One survivor in Lintang Bawah Village told the BBC Indonesian service that people survived by sitting on top of their homes.
Fitriana said: There were also those who survived on the roofs of their houses with their four-year-old children, for three days without eating or drinking. She said around 90% of the homes in her village were destroyed, leaving 300 families with nowhere to go.
Another survivor recounted how his family was evacuated by boat when floodwaters inundated their home up to the second floor, only to need to flee again from a nearby village.
The region's governor reported that response teams are still searching for bodies in waist-deep mud, emphasizing the dire situation on the ground.
Indonesian media also reported incidents of looting at supermarkets in some areas as aid remains critically needed.
