Death toll from floods in Indonesia rises to 303

The number of deaths from floods and landslides on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia has risen to 303, said the head of the country’s disaster mitigation agency on Saturday (29). The latest update was 174 dead. Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand were hit by cyclones and heavy rains for a week, with a rare tropical storm in the Strait of Malacca. At least 279 people are still missing in Indonesia. Around 80,000 people have had to leave their homes, and hundreds remain stranded in three provinces on the island of Sumatra, according to the disaster agency chief. Rescue teams used helicopters to deliver aid and for logistics in the northern part of the island, which was hardest hit, with roads blocked and communication infrastructures destroyed by landslides. ‘We are trying to open the route from North Tapanuli to Sibolga (in North Sumatra province), which has been blocked for a third day,’ said the agency chief.