By BINSAR BAKKARA Associated Press
PADANG SIDEMPUAN, Indonesia (AP) — Over 800 people remained missing Monday after devastating floods killed over 1,000 people last week in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand, as Indonesia’s president urged more action to confront the changing climate.
The flooding and landslides killed at least 604 people in Indonesia, 366 in Sri Lanka and 176 in Thailand, authorities said.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto pledged to rebuild infrastructure while visiting affected areas. Some areas remained unreachable, with roads damaged and communications lines down. Residents relied on aircraft delivering supplies.
At least 464 people in Indonesia were missing. Flooding displaced 290,700 people in North Sumatra, West Sumatra and Aceh provinces, the National Disaster Management Agency said.
“We need to confront climate change effectively,” Prabowo told reporters. “Local governments must take a significant role in safeguarding the environment and preparing for the extreme weather conditions that will arise from future climate change.”
Sri Lankan authorities said rescuers were searching for 367 missing people. About 218,000 others were in temporary shelters after being battered in the downpours that triggered landslides, primarily in the tea-growing central hill country.
In Thailand, the first compensation payments were set to be distributed Monday, beginning with 239 million baht ($7.4 million) for 26,000 people, government spokesperson Siripong Angkasakulkiat said.
He said authorities were working to restore infrastructure including water and electricity in the south, where severe flooding affected 3.9 million people.