Monsoon Devastation Across Asia: Floods and Landslides Kill Over 1,000 as Militaries Rush to Help

The confirmed death toll from floods and landslides across parts of Asia has climbed above 1,000, with Sri Lanka and Indonesia among the hardest hit. Prolonged monsoon rains and a rare tropical storm swept across Sri Lanka, Indonesia's Sumatra, southern Thailand and northern Malaysia, triggering catastrophic flooding, landslides and large-scale displacement.

Indonesia: urgent relief amid heavy losses

Indonesian authorities report at least 502 fatalities and say more than 500 people remain missing after floods and landslides in Sumatra and other regions. President Prabowo Subianto, visiting North Sumatra, said, "the worst has passed, hopefully," and emphasized that the government's immediate priority is delivering aid to cut-off communities. The central government has deployed warships loaded with relief supplies and hospital ships to reach areas where roads remain impassable.

At an evacuation centre in North Aceh, 28-year-old Misbahul Munir described wading through water up to his neck to reach his parents. "Everything in the house was destroyed because it was submerged," he told reporters. "I have only the clothes I am wearing," he said, breaking down in tears.

Sri Lanka: international aid requested as damage emerges

Sri Lanka has formally requested international assistance after Cyclone Ditwah and sustained heavy rain left at least 340 people dead, with many more unaccounted for. Floodwaters in the capital Colombo peaked overnight; with rainfall easing in some areas, officials hope levels will begin to recede. Relief teams are still clearing roads blocked by fallen trees and mudslides, and the full scale of destruction—particularly in the central highlands—is only now becoming clear.

Resident Hasitha Wijewardena, near Ma Oya north of Colombo, described the struggle to recover from the deluge: "The water has gone down, but the house is now full of mud," he told local reporters, appealing for military help with the clean-up.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake declared a state of emergency and vowed to rebuild, calling the disaster "the largest and most challenging natural disaster in our history." Officials warn losses and damage may be the worst in Sri Lanka since the 2004 tsunami.

Thailand and Malaysia: heavy toll and public anger

Authorities in southern Thailand reported at least 176 deaths after severe flooding — one of the deadliest flood events in the country in a decade. The government's relief response has faced increasing public criticism, and two local officials were suspended over alleged failures. In Malaysia's northern Perlis state, heavy rain inundated large areas and killed at least two people.

Regional context and ongoing risks

Relief operations have included air and sea assets, with militaries deployed to evacuate stranded residents and deliver supplies. However, many communities remain isolated by impassable roads and damaged infrastructure, complicating logistics. Meteorologists say the floods were intensified by a rare tropical storm over Sumatra combined with the seasonal monsoon; climate change is also amplifying extreme rainfall by increasing atmospheric moisture.

Authorities continue to warn of landslide risks from saturated slopes and of rivers remaining dangerously swollen as search, rescue and recovery efforts proceed across the region.