Indonesia Flood Death Toll Surpasses 600 as Rare Cyclone Devastates Sumatra

JAKARTA – The death toll from devastating floods and landslides triggered by a rare tropical cyclone in Indonesia has exceeded 600, reaching 631 as of Tuesday, with thousands injured and nearly 500 people still missing. The hardest-hit provinces are Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra, where thousands remain isolated without access to aid.

Authorities have evacuated approximately 1 million people, while the disaster has impacted around 1.5 million residents in total.

In Aceh’s Pidie Jaya regency, survivors described the floodwaters surging “like a tsunami.” One resident told the BBC that, according to his grandmother, “this is the worst disaster she has ever witnessed in her entire life.”

Photographs from the affected areas reveal collapsed bridges, roads buried under deep mud and debris, and huge piles of uprooted trees. Rescue teams are reaching cut-off villages on foot or by motorcycle, as most roads remain impassable to larger vehicles.

Many displaced people have gone without food for two to three days. On the night of 30 November, thousands lined up outside local government offices hoping to contact family members or charge their phones.

Growing public frustration has focused on the government’s disaster response, with critics citing inadequate preparedness and bureaucratic delays in delivering food aid. Activists have also pointed to poor environmental management and deforestation as factors that worsened the floods’ impact.

President Prabowo Subianto visited parts of North Sumatra on Sunday, acknowledging ongoing road blockages but stressing that “we are doing everything possible to overcome these challenges.” He added, “We face this catastrophe with resilience and unity. Our nation is now strong and able to overcome all difficulties.”

Indonesia is among several Asian nations recently struck by extreme weather, with deadly floods also reported in Thailand, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka.