Deadly flooding and landslides triggered by torrential rains across Indonesia have killed at least 90 people, with many others still missing, after the archipelago was struck by a rare tropical cyclone sweeping through the region.
On the island of Sumatra — particularly in North Sumatra, West Sumatra and Aceh provinces — fast-moving floodwaters and landslides destroyed homes, swept away vehicles and cut off roads and communications.
Authorities have evacuated thousands of residents stranded in flood-hit zones. Helicopters were deployed to rescue people from rooftops and deliver emergency supplies, as many areas remain inaccessible on foot or by road.
Local officials warn the death toll may rise further, because heavy rain continues and dozens of people remain unaccounted for after days of flood-related chaos.
Sri Lanka battered by Cyclone — thousands displaced
Meanwhile, to the west of Indonesia, a powerful storm — Cyclone Ditwah — has battered Sri Lanka, causing severe flooding and landslides across multiple provinces. The disaster has killed at least 56 people, with 21 missing, and displaced over 44,000 residents.
Many of the fatalities occurred when mudslides struck mountainous regions such as Badulla and Nuwara Eliya, highlighting the destructive combination of intense rainfall and vulnerable terrain.
Large swathes of the country remain flooded, major roads and railway lines are closed, and thousands are sheltering in schools and community halls as authorities work to rescue and provide aid.
A wider pattern — climate-linked extreme weather on the rise
This double crisis — flooding in Indonesia and cyclone-induced disaster in Sri Lanka — comes at a time when extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and more destructive across Southeast Asia.
Experts and regional officials are increasingly warning that what were once considered rare or “once-in-a-decade” events are becoming disturbingly common, adding urgency to calls for improved early warning systems, disaster-resilient infrastructure and stronger regional cooperation in relief efforts.
What’s happening now — rescue, relief and urgent fixes
- In Indonesia, rescue teams are continuing to search for missing people; in the hardest-hit zones, communities are relying on helicopter drops for food, water and medical aid. Emergency shelters have been opened for displaced families.
- Sri Lankan authorities have mobilized police, military and disaster-management teams nationwide. Schools and government offices have been closed, train services suspended, and transportation disruptions remain as floodwaters submerge critical infrastructure.
- Humanitarian groups are calling for accelerated international support; the magnitude of destruction — destroyed homes, lost livelihoods, broken roads — means recovery will be long and costly.
Why this matters: More than just numbers
Beyond the grim death toll and displacement figures, the disasters reveal deep vulnerabilities across the region: densely populated coastal and mountainous communities, fragile infrastructure, and inadequate flood-preparedness in many rural and semi-urban areas.
For many families, loss of homes, crops, possessions — and in some cases loved ones — means long-term suffering. For governments and aid agencies, the crunch is becoming not only rescue and relief, but rebuilding with resilience.
And for the planet, it’s another warning: climate change isn’t a future threat — it’s already here, reshaping lives.
