Floods ravage Southeast Asia as rescuers ramp up recovery efforts; death toll passes 180

The death toll from floods across large swathes of Southeast Asia has reached at least 183, with authorities in the region working to rescue stranded citizens, restore power and communications and coordinate recovery efforts as the waters began to recede.

Large parts of Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand have been stricken by cyclone-fuelled torrential rain for a week, with a rare tropical storm forming in the Malacca Strait.

Another 46 people were killed by a cyclone in the South Asian island nation of Sri Lanka, authorities said.

In badly hit Sumatra in Indonesia, 94 people have been confirmed dead, according to data from three provincial authorities.

In the Padang Pariaman region of Sumatra, where a total of 22 people died, residents must cope with water levels at least one meter high, and have still not been reached by search and rescue personnel.

“We’re running out of supplies and food,” says Muhammad Rais, a 40-year-old resident who was forced to move to the second floor of his home yesterday to escape the rapidly rising waters.

Communications remain down in some parts of the island, and authorities are working to restore power and clear roads that have been blocked by landslide debris, says Abdul Muhari, spokesman for Indonesia’s national disaster mitigation agency.

Indonesia will continue to airlift aid and rescue personnel into stricken areas on Friday, he adds.