Forecasts of rain on Thursday have heightened concerns about further damage in flood-ravaged Indonesia and Sri Lanka, following earlier floods that claimed over 1,500 lives across four nations.
In Indonesia, the meteorological agency cautioned that the three most affected provinces on Sumatra island could experience “moderate to heavy” rainfall from Thursday through Friday.
Flood victims gather their belongings from the railway tracks after drying them in Kandy, Sri Lanka, following Cyclone Ditwah, December 3, 2025. — Reuters
The rain began overnight but hasn’t matched last week’s intensity, yet it has unsettled a region already shaken by flash floods and landslides.
“We’re scared that if it rains suddenly, the flood will return,” said 54-year-old Sabandi at a shelter in Pandan, North Sumatra.
The death toll in Indonesia stood at 776 on Thursday, slightly reduced from the previous day as new information emerged from remote areas.
Over 560 people are still missing, with intermittent communications and power making it difficult to locate them.
Sabandi, who uses one name, recounted being stranded on her roof for two days without food or water before evacuation.
“My house was filled with mud,” she said, making it impossible to enter.
Residents clean doors and furniture after flooding from Cyclone Ditwah in Kandy, Sri Lanka, December 3, 2025. — Reuters
– Sleepless Nights –
Seasonal monsoons bring rain vital for farmers across Asia, but climate change is making these events more unpredictable and hazardous.
Two weather systems drenched Sri Lanka, Sumatra, parts of southern Thailand, and northern Malaysia last week.
The disaster’s magnitude has complicated relief efforts.
In Banda Aceh, Indonesia, an AFP reporter noted a fuel line stretching four kilometers at one gas station.
Survivor Ilyasak Imam Mudo, 53, with his children, waits for a ride while retrieving valuables from their damaged home after flash floods in Palembayan, Agam regency, West Sumatra, Indonesia, December 4, 2025. — Reuters
The provincial governor led a relief team to Aceh Tamiang on Wednesday night, delivering 30 tons of essentials, including drinking water, rice, instant noodles, biscuits, eggs, and medicine, as per a statement.
In Langsa city, 49-year-old Erni and her family took refuge in an Islamic prayer hall after floods destroyed their home.
While they received sufficient drinking water and food aid to last a few days, power cuts and limited clean water access hampered cleanup efforts, Erni said.
“The wardrobe, table, refrigerator — all are ruined,” she told AFP.
“We can’t sleep, constantly worrying about the flood’s return.”
Elsewhere, survivors reported food scarcity, price hikes, and looting.
– ‘This Village is a Cemetery’ –
In Sri Lanka, forecasters predicted the northeast monsoon would begin Thursday afternoon.
Landslide warnings were reissued for some of the hardest-hit areas in the central Kandy region, advising residents to avoid returning home as saturated slopes could collapse further.
However, some searched for the missing in Hadabima village on Thursday, where 18 bodies were recovered from six homes destroyed by landslides, survivor VK Muthukrishnan told AFP.
Six people were still unaccounted for, said the 42-year-old electrician.
“We can’t live here anymore because this village is now a cemetery,” Muthukrishnan said.
At least 479 people have died in Sri Lanka, with hundreds missing, prompting the president to seek international aid.
Authorities estimate up to $7 billion is needed to rebuild homes, industries, and roads, a significant challenge for a nation recovering from its worst economic crisis three years ago.
