Floods in Southeast Asia: Over 250 Dead in Thailand and Indonesia

Floods in Southeast Asia have left a devastating toll, with at least 145 deaths reported in Thailand and 111 in Indonesia as of Friday. In both Indonesia and neighboring Malaysia, as well as Thailand, distressing images of flooded cities, trapped citizens, and landslides caused by the relentless downpour have emerged.

In Thailand, government spokesperson Siripong Angkasakulkiat announced that the death toll in the southern provinces has reached 145, with over 100 fatalities occurring in the province of Songkhla alone. This marks a significant increase from the previous count of 55 deaths.

The southern region has been particularly hard hit, with residents in Hat Yai resorting to clinging to rooftops while awaiting rescue by boat. The main morgue in Songkhla, which handles victims from the floods in the south, is overwhelmed, according to a local hospital representative. "The morgue has exceeded its capacity, and we need more space," said Charn, a morgue official who only provided his first name.

Images captured by an AFP journalist show white refrigerated trucks parked outside the hospital's main building. Witnesses describe a rapid rise in water levels, with one survivor, Kamban Wongpanya, 67, recounting that "the water reached the ceiling of the second floor".

Chayaphol Promkleng, a shopkeeper, initially thought his store would be safe as the water only reached his ankles. However, the following day, the water level rose to his waist, prompting him to flee for his life.

On Friday, the government announced the suspension of Hat Yai's district chief for failing to adequately respond to the flooding.

In Indonesia, specifically in western Sumatra, floods and landslides have resulted in at least 111 deaths and over a hundred individuals missing, according to the updated toll. Ferry Walintukan, a spokesperson for the North Sumatra police, stated, "Our priority is evacuation and assistance. We hope the weather improves so we can send helicopters to the area," as many roads remain impassable.

In Medan, northern Sumatra, an AFP photographer observed that the muddy floodwaters reached his hip. Misniati, 53, who, like many Indonesians, is known by only one name, described a harrowing struggle against the rising waters to reach her husband. "I saw the street was flooded. I tried to get home to warn my husband, but the water was already up to my waist," she told AFP. She fought against the current that threatened to sweep her away, arriving home with the water up to her chest. "We didn't sleep all night; we just monitored the water level," she added.

Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries are prone to flooding and landslides during the rainy season, typically from November to April. However, monsoon rains have been intensified by a tropical storm sweeping through the region. Climate change has also intensified storms, leading to heavier rainfall, flash floods, and more severe gusts. A warmer climate retains more moisture, resulting in more intense rainfall episodes, while warmer oceans can amplify storm systems.

Uli Arta Siagian, head of the Indonesian environmental NGO WALHI, indicated that overdevelopment could be a contributing factor to the floods and landslides. "If forest cover continues to decrease and is replaced by monoculture palm oil plantations, mining, and other activities, our ecological system will lose its capacity to regulate water systems," she warned.

In Malaysia, floods have inundated vast areas of northern Perlis state, resulting in two deaths. The same weather system that crossed Indonesia, now downgraded from a tropical storm to a depression, made landfall early Friday, bringing new rain to an already saturated region.