In Indonesia, devastating floods and landslides in the northwestern island of Sumatra have killed over 1,000 people over the past fortnight.
More than 200 people are still missing, while over 5 thousand people have been injured. More than one lakh homes and structures have been destroyed following the disaster. Rescue and relief operations are going on.
A rare and powerful cyclone formed over the Malacca Strait, bringing heavy rainfall and triggering landslides in parts of Southeast Asian countries. Severe weather conditions also hit Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam, killing about 2 thousand people in total.
Sumatra was hit by deadly torrential rains earlier this month, forcing about 1.2 million people to evacuate and move to temporary shelters.
President Prabowo Subianto said yesterday that the situation has improved as several areas, which were earlier cut off, are now accessible. As per estimates, the cost of rebuilding in the region following the disaster could reach up to 3 billion dollars.
