MORE than 1,000 people have perished in South-East Asia’s devastating floods as the death toll continues to climb.
Sri Lanka and Indonesia – the hardest hit nations – have sent in the military to help survivors of the washout.
A deadly combination of flooding, landslides and cyclones have battered the region since the latter half of last week – with parts of Thailand and Malaysia also struggling.
Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto arrived in Sumatra today, which has suffered particularly, and said “the worst has passed, hopefully”.
The government’s “priority now is how to immediately send the necessary aid”, with particular focus on several cut-off areas, he added.
In West Sumatra, hundreds of people were clearing mud, trees and wreckage from roads on Monday morning – as some tried to salvage valuables from the remains of their homes.
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Men in camouflage outfits could be seen sifting through piles of mangled poles, concrete and sheet metal roofing.
Pickup trucks packed with people drove around looking for missing family members and handing out water to survivors.
More than 500 of the deaths have been confirmed in Indonesia – and Prabowo has come under pressure to declare a national emergency.
He has not called for international help – unlike his Sri Lankan counterpart.
However, the government has sent three warships carrying aid and two hospital ships to some of the worst-hit areas, where many roads remain impassable.
In Sri Lanka, the death toll has risen to 355, with more 366 missing – whilst at least 176 have been killed in Thailand and three in Malaysia.
Rescuers in Sri Lanka are scrambling to deliver aid to more than half a million people hit by Cyclone Ditwah last week – and more than 147,000 residents have been forced into temporary shelters.
Packing strong winds and heavy rains, the storm brought the island nation’s worst floods in a decade when it struck on Friday, triggering landslides in the hilly central region.
Photos show people salvaging belongings from flooded homes along the banks of the Kelani river near Colombo, the capital.
Officials said train and flight services have resumed after they were disrupted last week, although schools remain closed.
The weather authorities said: “It (the storm) is very likely to move northwards, away from the island, and weaken further.”
This was the first time the entire country had been battered by a natural disaster like this, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said on Sunday.
He described it as the “largest and most challenging” in Sri Lanka’s history.
The flooding in Thailand hit its tourist regions, leaving many foreigners stranded while international agencies, including from the US, gave assistance.
Death tolls are expected to climb over the coming days as the full extent of the disaster across the region becomes clear