Over 1,700 Reported Dead in Asia Floods, Mudslides

(MENAFN) Catastrophic flooding and mudslides have claimed more than 1,700 lives throughout Asia as of Sunday, leaving hundreds of individuals unaccounted for amid ongoing rescue efforts.

A relentless barrage of extreme weather—including torrential floods, devastating mudslides, powerful storms, and cyclonic systems—has battered Malaysia, Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand, though Indonesia has sustained the heaviest casualties.

Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency reported that flooding and mudslides on Sumatra island have killed 916 individuals, with 274 persons remaining missing and approximately 4,200 suffering injuries as emergency teams continue search operations.

The natural disasters have impacted more than 3.2 million residents, forcing over 1 million displaced citizens to evacuate to secure locations across the hardest-hit provinces: North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Aceh.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto announced plans to acquire up to 200 helicopters in 2026 for dual-purpose deployment in defense operations and emergency disaster response.

The president emphasized his administration's pledge to deploy every resource at the nation's disposal, including military cargo planes, to guarantee swift emergency intervention throughout the archipelago.

In Sri Lanka, fatalities from Cyclone Ditwah have climbed to 618, with 209 individuals still unaccounted for following the storm's November 17 landfall, data from the Disaster Management Center shows.

The UN reported Friday that southern Thailand has recorded at least 185 deaths, while 367 people remain missing. India has documented four weather-related fatalities, and Malaysia has reported three deaths connected to the severe meteorological conditions.

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