Monsoon Floods and Landslides Kill Over 1,300 Across Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand

Batang Toru, Indonesia / Colombo, Sri Lanka / Bangkok, Thailand: Rescue teams are searching for survivors after heavy monsoon rains caused floods and landslides in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. At least 1,303 people have died, and more than 800 are missing. Thousands were stranded, some on rooftops or trees. Indonesia reported 712 deaths, Sri Lanka 410, and Thailand 181. Sri Lanka’s president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, said the full toll is not yet known.

In Indonesia, rescuers struggled to reach villages on Sumatra island. Roads were washed out and bridges collapsed. At least 507 people remain missing. Helicopters and boats are being used, but bad weather and damaged infrastructure are slowing work. Floods carried away millions of cubic metres of timber, raising concerns that illegal logging worsened the disaster. Batang Toru forest is now destroyed. Activist Rianda Purba said it is "a manmade crisis' caused by deforestation and unchecked development.

Survivors continue searching for family. In Agam district, farmer Zahari Sutra saved his eldest daughter but is still looking for his wife and two younger daughters. Homes were buried under mud.

A young girl eats a meal at a relief camp inside a school after being evacuated following rapid floods in Wellampitiya on the outskirts of Colombo on December 1, 2025

In Sri Lanka, military teams are searching for 336 missing people after Cyclone Ditwah. Landslides and collapsed bridges make access difficult. Residents in Kandy rely on bottled water from natural springs. President Dissanayake called it the worst disaster in recent memory and warned casualties are likely higher than reported.

This handout satellite image by Vantor received on December 2, 2025 shows flooded fields in Hat Yai, Thailand's southern Songkhla province on November 29, 2025.

In southern Thailand, cleanup has begun. Floods affected 1.5 million households and 3.9 million people. Authorities are restoring water and electricity, running public kitchens, and distributing 239 million baht (USD 7.4 million) in compensation to 26,000 residents.