Death toll reaches 1,100 in Asia floods with hundreds of people missing

Sri Lanka and Indonesia deployed military personnel yesterday as they raced to help the victims of devastating flooding that has killed more than 1,100 people across four countries in Asia.

- Rebecca Ratcliffe Bangkok Oliver Holmes

An elderly man being carried to safety in Wellampitiya, Sri Lanka

Millions of people have been affected by a combination of tropical cyclones and heavy monsoon rains in Sri Lanka, parts of Indonesia's Sumatra, Thailand and Malaysia in recent days.

In Indonesia, at least 604 people have been killed and 464 are missing, according to the national disaster agency. The death toll stands at 366 in Sri Lanka, with 366 missing, and 176 dead in Thailand. Three deaths have been reported in Malaysia.

The Indonesian president, Prabowo Subianto, said: “The worst has passed, hopefully” during a visit to North Sumatra province yesterday, adding that the government was focused on delivering aid.

Three warships and two hospital ships as well as aircraft have been sent to carry aid and assistance to the worst-affected areas, where rescue efforts have been hampered by blocked roads, collapsed bridges and disruption to communication lines. Some areas have been cut off from response teams.