The death toll from floods that hit Indonesia last week has now passed 500, with rescue workers still struggling to reach affected areas.
Flooding caused by a rare cyclone that formed over the Strait of Malacca has hit three provinces and affected about 1.4 million people, according to the government’s disaster agency.
Another 500 people are missing, while thousands have been injured.
Indonesia is just one part of Asia hit by torrential rains and typhoons in recent days, with deaths also reported in Thailand, Malaysia and Sri Lanka.
In Indonesia, the provinces of Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra have been hardest hit, with thousands of people still cut off and without vital supplies.
Arini Amalia, a resident of Aceh’s Pidi Jaya regency, told the BBC that the floodwaters were “tsunami-like”.
“According to my grandmother, this is the worst, worst time of her life,” Amalia said.
Aid workers are trying to reach people on foot and by motorcycle, as many roads are inaccessible to large vehicles.
Pictures from the area showed bridges washed away, roads covered with mud and debris and piles of logs piled high.
Many are still waiting for food aid, with some saying they have not eaten for two to three days.
Maysanti, who lives in central Tapanuli, one of the hardest-hit areas of North Sumatra, told the BBC that aid workers were having trouble reaching her district.
He said, “Everything is gone; our food supplies are running out. We can’t eat.” “Even now there is a fight over instant noodles. Our food has run out; we need food and rice. Access to us has been completely cut off.”
She said she has to walk several kilometers from her home to get basic needs like internet connection and clean water.
In central Aceh, where local authorities have provided Starlink devices, thousands of people were seen lining up outside the regency’s office on Sunday night hoping to contact loved ones or charge their mobile phones.
“It’s been five days without signal. We’ve been waiting since yesterday to see if the network will come back or not. I’m planning to call my mother in Banda Aceh, but so far I haven’t been able to contact her,” said a resident named Mar.
As rescue efforts continue, anger over the government’s disaster response is growing.
Critics say officials were unprepared for the flood. Some have blamed bureaucratic red tape for slowing the delivery of food aid.
On Monday, President Prabowo Subianto – who was visiting some flood-hit areas in North Sumatra – acknowledged that some roads were still cut off, but said, “We are making every effort to overcome the difficulties”.
He added, “We face this disaster with resilience and solidarity.” “Our country is strong now, able to overcome this.”
<a href