Rescue operations intensified across Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand on Monday as clearer weather exposed the full scale of devastation left by a rare tropical storm that battered Southeast Asia for a week. The combined death toll has climbed close to 700, with Indonesia alone reporting 502 fatalities and another 508 people still missing. Thailand has confirmed 176 deaths, while three people have died in Malaysia amid widespread flooding.
The storm, which unusually formed in the narrow Malacca Strait, unleashed relentless rain and powerful wind gusts that triggered deadly mudslides, collapsed roads, and deep flooding across the region. Access to many communities had been cut off for days, hampering rescue efforts.
In Indonesia’s West Sumatra province, newly emerged sunshine revealed scenes of overwhelming destruction. Roads were blocked by mud, uprooted trees, and splintered debris as residents sifted through what remained of their homes. Many attempted to salvage documents, motorcycles, and essential belongings. Volunteers and soldiers worked side by side, clearing rubble and distributing supplies delivered by helicopter.
Indonesia’s disaster agency says more than 28,000 homes have been damaged and 1.4 million people affected nationwide. President Prabowo Subianto visited the hardest-hit provinces, praising the resilience of survivors and promising swift restoration of roads, bridges, and telecommunications. “We face this disaster with resilience and solidarity,” he said. “Our nation is strong right now, able to overcome this.”
Thailand continues to battle widespread flooding across eight southern provinces, affecting an estimated three million people. In Songkhla — the worst-hit province, with 138 deaths — water services have been 85 per cent restored and are expected to return fully by Wednesday. Hat Yai, a major commercial hub, recorded the heaviest single-day rainfall in 300 years at 335 mm (13 inches). Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered that residents be able to return home within seven days, though recovery efforts remain vast and challenging.
Malaysia, meanwhile, has more than 11,600 people in evacuation centres, with authorities warning of potential second and third waves of flooding in the coming days.
This latest disaster follows months of extreme weather across Southeast Asia, including typhoons in the Philippines and Vietnam and persistent flooding linked to climate change. Scientists warn that such severe, unpredictable storms will only become more frequent as global temperatures rise.