Death toll from flooding across Asia passes 1,000 | BBC News

Across vast areas of Southeast Asia, the true scale of a major flooding disaster is becoming clearer. More than 1,000 people have been killed, and a desperate

hunt for food, water, and survivors is ramping up as the flood waters begin to recede in some areas. Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Thailand have seen

their largest scale devastation after an exceptionally rare tropical storm named cyclone Senya fueled torrential rains, catastrophic landslides, and also flooding. Let's show you Indonesia. It's the provinces of Ace, North Somatra, and

flooding. Let's show you Indonesia. It's the provinces of Ace, North Somatra, and West Somatra, which have been hardest hit. Thousands remain cut off. Aid

workers are resorting to delivering help by foot and desperation is growing with reports of looting now too. One person telling the BBC that locals are fighting over instant noodles. The death toll across the region continues to climb as

well. In Indonesia, the disaster agency saying more than 600 people have been

well. In Indonesia, the disaster agency saying more than 600 people have been killed. Hundreds more are missing. And Sri Lanka's disaster management centers

killed. Hundreds more are missing. And Sri Lanka's disaster management centers say 355 have been killed there. But listen to the missing number. 366 people

there are still missing and in Thailand the death toll standing at 176 people.

Two people are known to have died in Malaysia as well. But remarkable stories of survival are emerging too. Rescue teams using boats were able to reach this person. This resident trapped by flood waters in a coconut tree in

this person. This resident trapped by flood waters in a coconut tree in Indonesia. Others have recounted how they escaped as the waters were rising around their homes.

Indonesia. Others have recounted how they escaped as the waters were rising around their homes.

Suddenly, someone ran from the garden. "Come on, run, run, run. The big water's coming," he said. "So I immediately ran to save my child. Get out of this house.

Save my child." The water from this house is already up to their knees.

There is a large amount of desperation on so many levels across the region.

Let's take you to Jakarta in Indonesia and talk to Astradestra Ajongr. And from

Columbbo and Sri Lanka, AFP bureau chief Amal Ja Singa. Amal, can I start with you? What's the picture across Sri Lanka at the moment? >> Well, the rains have subsided, but the

you? What's the picture across Sri Lanka at the moment? >> Well, the rains have subsided, but the security forces have started a recovery process. So, actually the rescue is now more or less over. It has now turned into a very grim recovery operation and

we keep getting reports of uh lots of bodies being pulled out of the mudslides and uh that operation is going on. And in other areas affected by flooding

there is a fairly big operation going on to provide them with some of the basic things like food, shelter and uh some clothing. So that so in two fronts

actually one is looking after the people who are affected by the floods particularly in and around the capital and also in the central part of the country that's the worst affected area by landslides. So the recovery process

is underway in those areas >> and do we know the full scale of need at the moment the full picture or are there still areas that are cut off?

>> Well the uh lots of uh villages particularly in the central hills have been cut off by landslides and also trees falling across uh streets. So the

that clearing operation is going on. So we really don't have a full picture of the uh loss of life and and damage but what is clear is that lots of people are missing and even as communication lines are restored we we keep hearing about

more and more people who have gone missing. So the uh it looks like this operation will have to continue for a few more days especially get the get the roads open and we are told that that operation is now underway. about 25,000

people have been deployed for that. So perhaps we'll get some idea uh maybe in the next 24 hours or so. >> And Estrada, is it a similar picture as well across parts of Somatra particularly? I mean we've seen some really dramatic pictures of you know

particularly? I mean we've seen some really dramatic pictures of you know people on their rooftops desperately waiting to be rescued a as well and the fact that so many villages still remain cut off. >> Yes. the he went in >> right

>> Astradestra that was that was for you just wanting to get the picture across Somatra particularly. Yeah. So in Sumatra um the rain has finally stopped but now uh the

Somatra particularly. Yeah. So in Sumatra um the rain has finally stopped but now uh the communities of course are dealing with muds as high as their waist, some even

as high as their chest trying to find um bodies. Um though so the rescue workers are also now still doing um as best as there they can to try to go to the most

isolated areas. uh particularly in Ache we can see that um we hear reports that

isolated areas. uh particularly in Ache we can see that um we hear reports that um some villages uh still have no aids at all. So they are now surviving with

what they have. Some say that they only have food for the next two days. So if

aid um cannot come to their place soon then they will face starvation. But we

also hear amazing stories of survivors. We heard people um spending hours waiting in top of big um trees uh on the tree trunks on the um rocks um and

waiting for the water to reside and finally could save themsel. But more

than 500 people are still missing. Um they are thought to be buried under the landslide. So we're looking at probably uh death casualties will be uh still

landslide. So we're looking at probably uh death casualties will be uh still arise in the next couple of days. >> That is a huge number of people still unaccounted for 500 and you mentioned there in Arche that they haven't

received any aid. Why is President Poe not calling for more international assistance?

>> That is also um the question that all of a lot of people has been asking. Today,

President Prabo have arrived to three different locations of the worst hit areas. He went to the north Sumatra, West Sumatra and Ae. Um and also

areas. He went to the north Sumatra, West Sumatra and Ae. Um and also acknowledging that eight have not um go through to the places that are still

isolated. He said that they are you know the country is doing the best uh that

isolated. He said that they are you know the country is doing the best uh that they can to give aid for those in need. But up until this point um you know we

see that many people still uh haven't received anything and that's become a huge point of you know u critics by uh many social um environmentalists also um

and they are calling the president to declare a national emergency to this disaster in order to get faster and more coordinated resource on it. Right now um

all of the e relief efforts are left to the each of the regional government and um ache district governments for example have said to media that they have given

up it feels like this is the second tsunami as you know ache was hit by tsunami more than 20 years ago um and it was a huge disaster now he's saying that this time it almost feel like it happened all over again >> I've seen lots of people on social media

and responses today wondering why that state of emergency hasn't been called in Indonesia but Mal it's a different picture in Sri Lanka isn't it the government is asking for international assistance >> yes the president has declared a state

of emergency and he has also appealed not only to the international community but also Sri Lankans who are living abroad the government has basically set up separate special bank accounts for them to directly send money for the

relief effort so Actually the president addressed the nation overnight and the message was that uh government was determined to build back better and of course he was seeking international help to do that. Thank you both very much for updating us

on what is happening in Sri Lanka and in Indonesia as well to remind you the true scale of this disaster still not clear as Estradessa was saying still 500 people unaccounted for in Indonesia but more than 1,000 people we know have been

killed by these uh floods so