Thailand, Indonesia begin clean-up after massive floods kill hundreds

The death toll from devastating floods and landslides in Southeast Asia climbed past 370 on Saturday as clean-up and search and rescue operations got underway in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia.

Heavy monsoon rain overwhelmed swathes of the three countries this week, killing hundreds and leaving thousands stranded, many on rooftops awaiting rescue.

Rescuers in Indonesia were struggling to reach the worst-affected areas of Sumatra island, where more than 100 people were still missing.

Flooding and landslides in Indonesia have killed more than 200 people, according to figures from the disaster authorities.

"Sixty-one fatalities have been recorded, and 90 are still being searched for," West Sumatra Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Ilham Wahab said late Friday, updating an earlier toll of 23 for the province.

In North Sumatra, another 116 people have died, while in Aceh province the death toll was at least 35 people, according to figures released by the agency.

National Disaster agency (BNPB) head Suharyanto told a news conferencethat a cloud seeding operation would begin in West Sumatra to reduce the rainfall, most of which had already subsided by Saturday.

"The water in our house has receded, but the entire place is covered in mud," said Novia, a resident of Pidie in Aceh. "Some of the items in the house are damaged or have fallen, and we haven't been able to clean them yet".

"We, the community, are working together to clean up the mud," the 30-year-old told AFP.

Firda Yusra evacuated from his home with his wife and child to shelter in a nearby mosque with around a thousand others.

"Here, we eat whatever is available," he said.

- Thailand clean-up -

In southern Thailand water levels reached three metres (nearly 10 feet) in Songkhla province and killed 162 people in one of the worst floods in a decade.

Workers at one hospital in hard-hit Hat Yai moved bodies into refrigerated trucks after the morgue exceeded capacity.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul apologised for the destruction caused by the floods.

"Whenever there are losses, deaths, or injuries, it's always the prime minister's fault," he said on Saturday.

"I will use all my expertise and dedication to improve the situation," he added, announcing a two-week timeframe for the district's cleanup.

The Thai government rolled out relief measures for those affected by the flooding, including compensation of up to two million baht ($62,000) for households that lost family members.

More than 40,000 people have taken shelter in evacuation centres, according to Wanchana Sawasdee, spokesman of the flood relief operations centre, though "some people have already returned home".

Malaysia's foreign affairs ministry said more than 6,000 Malaysians who were stranded following severe flooding in Hat Yai had been rescued.

Two people were killed in Malaysia after floods left stretches of northern Perlis state under water.

- Public criticism -

As floodwaters in southern Thailand receded, shop owner Rachane Remsringam picked through rubbish strewn between the aisles of his general goodsstore, lamenting hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses.

There has been growing public criticism of Thailand's flood response and two local officials have been suspended over their alleged failures.

An MP from the opposition People's Party criticised the administration, saying it "wrongly estimated the situation" and made "errors in handling the flood crisis".

The annual monsoon season, typically between June and September, often brings heavy rain, triggering landslides and flash floods.

A tropical storm has exacerbated conditions, and the tolls in Indonesia and Thailand rank among the highest in floods in those countries in recent years.

Climate change has affected storm patterns, including the duration and intensity of the season, leading to heavier rainfall, flash flooding and stronger wind gusts.

"Since I was a child until now at 30 years old, this is the worst flood that has ever occurred in our village,"said Novia in Aceh.

"There were floods before... but it wasn't like this."