As many as 303 people have been killed on Indonesia's western island of Sumatra, after massive floods triggered by the torrential rain wreaked havoc across the region.
Indonesia’s disaster management agency (BNPB) said that as of Sunday morning, at least 303 people have lost their lives, while 279 more people remain missing in the aftermath of the weather-induced disaster. The death toll, according to Indonesian authorities, is expected to rise further in the coming days.
Meanwhile, the monitoring service officials in the country said that heavy rains that started on Tuesday in Sumatra have caused flooding and landslides. Parts of the island have recorded more than 300 millimetres of rain in a single day, they said.
Videos from the northern part of Sumatra on Friday showed multiple mud-covered residential areas and authorities searching through debris for missing people. Weather officials have issued advisories to the residents of Sumatra Island to remain vigilant for landslides and overflowing rivers.
Besides, heavy rains have also caused widespread destruction in the neighbouring countries of Malaysia and Thailand. Hundreds of people are believed to be either dead or missing following a massive rainfall, triggering flash floods and landslides.
Furthermore, the heavy downpour has claimed 153 lives in Sri Lanka, where authorities have declared a state of emergency owing to constant rainfall. Since August, the rainfall has killed thousands of people in Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan, India, and China. Experts point to the changing weather patterns as a direct result of global climate change driven by an increase in greenhouse gas emissions.
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