Hundreds Dead, Missing in Southeast Asia Floods

The number of dead and missing in Southeast Asia continues to climb after some of the heaviest rainfall in years:

• More than 400 are dead in Indonesia, and hundreds more are missing in the three provinces of North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Aceh, according to the National Disaster Management Agency, per the AP.
• Sri Lankan officials said deaths from floods and mudslides in that island nation have risen to 193.
• About 160 are dead in Thailand and 90 in Vietnam, per the New York Times.

• Nearly 300,000 people have been displaced in Indonesia alone, with roughly 3,000 houses damaged, including 827 that were flattened or swept out by floods.
• The challenging weather conditons and the lack of heavy equipment also hampered rescue efforts. Aid has been slow to reach the hardest-hit city of Sibolga and Central Tapanuli district in North Sumatra.
• Videos on social media showed people scrambling past crumbling barricades, flooded roads, and broken glass to get their hands on food, medicine, and gas. Some waded through waist-deep floodwaters to reach damaged convenience stores.