Deadly weather disasters sweep across Asia as rescue efforts continue
Severe floods, landslides and storms have devastated parts of Asia, leaving widespread destruction as rescue operations continue across the region, Anadolu Agency reports.
Unprecedented floods, landslides, storms, and cyclones have battered Malaysia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, and Indonesia, with Indonesia suffering the heaviest losses. The death toll climbed beyond 1,700, with hundreds still missing as rescue operations continue across several countries
Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency reported that 916 people were killed on Sumatra Island alone, while 274 remain missing and around 4,200 have been injured.
More than 3.2 million people have been affected, and over 1 million residents have been displaced to safer areas across North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Aceh provinces.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto said the country plans to buy up to helicopters in 2026 for defense and disaster-response operations. He pledged full mobilization of military resources, including transport aircraft, to strengthen rapid-response capabilities nationwide.
In Sri Lanka, the death toll from Cyclone Ditwah has risen to 618, with 209 people still missing since the storm made landfall on November 17, according to the Disaster Management Center.
The UN reported on Friday that at least 185 people have died in southern Thailand, with 367 missing following days of severe flooding and landslides. India has recorded four fatalities, and Malaysia three, amid worsening weather conditions across the region.
