Over 1,000 Killed and Hundreds Missing After Heavy Rain Triggers Flooding and Mudslides

More than 1,000 people have been killed and millions affected after devastating floods and mudslides swept across parts of Southeast Asia.

Days of intense rainfall, fueled by a series of cyclones and powerful storms, triggered widespread destruction in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam, according to CNN and Sky News. The severe weather began late last week and has continued to batter the region.

As of Monday, Dec. 1, officials reported at least 390 deaths in Sri Lanka, 604 in Indonesia, 176 in Thailand and two in Malaysia, CNN said. Another 90 deaths have been confirmed in Vietnam, according to The New York Times.

Hundreds of people remain unaccounted for, including 464 in Indonesia and 367 in Sri Lanka, Sky News reported. In Sri Lanka alone, hundreds of thousands of residents have taken refuge in emergency shelters.

“This is the first time the entire country has been struck by such a disaster,” President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said in an address to the nation, according to CNN, citing Reuters.

Heavy rainfall is common in this part of the world during monsoon season, but experts told The New York Times that this year’s rains have been unusually intense and destructive.

Two powerful storms have played a major role in the catastrophe: Cyclone Ditwah, which slammed Sri Lanka and is now heading toward India, and Cyclone Senyar, which battered Indonesia and is moving on toward Malaysia.

Antara, Indonesia’s government-run news agency, reported that President Prabowo Subianto on Monday visited evacuees in northern Sumatra, where helicopters have been delivering supplies to survivors, according to CNN.

Emergency teams have also been airlifting aid to affected communities in Thailand, where floodwaters in some locations — including the city of Hat Yai — rose as high as eight feet. On Nov. 21 alone, Hat Yai recorded 13 inches of rain, the highest single-day total in 300 years, Sky News reported.

In Thailand, an estimated 2.8 million people have been impacted by the flooding. In Sri Lanka, about 1.1 million people have been affected, and more than 25,000 homes have been destroyed, according to CNN.