Indonesian and Thai authorities raced on Sunday (November 30, 2025) to clear debris and find hundreds of missing people as the death toll from devastating floods and landslides across Southeast Asia topped 600.

Heavy monsoon rain overwhelmed swaths of Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia this week, leaving thousands of people stranded without shelter or critical supplies.

At least two areas of Indonesia’s worst-affected Sumatra Island were still unreachable on Sunday (November 30), and authorities said they had deployed two warships from Jakarta to deliver aid.

Central Tapanuli and Sibolga city “require full attention due to being isolated”, National Disaster agency head Suharyanto said in a statement, adding that the ships were expected in Sibolga on Monday (December 1).

The death toll in Indonesia rose to 442, while 402 were still missing, according to a tally published on Sunday (November 30) by the disaster authority.

It said at least 646 people had been injured.

In Sungai Nyalo village, about 100 km (62 miles) from West Sumatra’s capital Padang, floodwaters had mostly receded on Sunday (November 30), leaving homes, vehicles and crops coated in thick grey mud.

Authorities had not yet begun clearing roads, residents told AFP, and no outside assistance had arrived.

“Most villagers chose to stay; they didn’t want to leave their houses behind,” said Idris, 55, who, like many Indonesians, goes by one name.

Across the island towards the north coast, an endangered Sumatran elephant lay buried in thick mud and debris near damaged buildings in Meureudu town.

Public criticism

In Thailand, where at least 162 people were killed in one of the worst floods in a decade, authorities continued to deliver aid and clear the damage.

Relief measures rolled out by the Thai government include compensation of up to two million baht ($62,000) for households that lost family members.

However, there has been growing public criticism of Thailand’s flood response, and two local officials have been suspended over their alleged failures.

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

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.

Heavy rain caused flooding and landslips Wednesday (August 27, 2025) in parts of Southeast Asia, where at least eight deaths were reported in the aftermath of a tropical storm.

Flooding occurred in several northern and central provinces of Vietnam, seven people died, one was missing and 34 were injured, state media reported.

Nearly 20 cm of rain fell overnight in parts of northeast Vietnam and flood warnings remained for some riverside areas.

Also Read | Typhoon Kajiki: At least three dead, many injured in Vietnam; Thailand issues flood alert for low-lying areas

In Thailand, one person died and another was missing from a landslip Wednesday (August 27, 2025) in part of the northern city of Chiang Mai.

Thailand’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said many homes were affected and a few people were injured from flash flooding and landslips in northern provinces.

Thailand’s Meteorological Department warned of heavy rain in northern and northeastern regions Wednesday (August 27, 2025). Residents in foothills and low-lying areas near waterways were warned about possible flash floods and landslips.

The rain was part of the aftermath of Tropical Storm Kajiki, which made landfall Monday (August 25, 2025) afternoon in central Vietnam, where thousands of people were evacuated from high-risk areas.

Kajiki earlier brought winds and rain to China’s southern Hainan Island.

Scientists published a 2024 study warning seas warmed by climate change will result in Southeast Asia’s cyclones forming closer to land, strengthening faster and lasting longer, raising risks for cities.

Typhoon Kajiki killed at least three people and injured 10 others in Vietnam, authorities said on Tuesday (August 26, 2025) as they warned that heavy rains could cause flooding and landslips.

The storm damaged nearly 7,000 homes, inundated 28,800 hectares of rice plantings and felled 18,000 trees, the government said in a statement. It also brought down 331 electricity poles, causing widespread blackouts in Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Thai Nguyen and Phu Tho provinces.

Streets in the capital Hanoi were severely flooded as heavy rains fell on Tuesday (August 26, 2025) morning, paralysing traffic. Cars were seen submerged up to their roofs in water.

Flood water also surrounded residential areas in the city, which is preparing to host the country’s largest National Day parade in decades next week as it celebrates the 80th anniversary of its founding.

Video clips on state media showed that water at the West Lake, the largest lake in Hanoi, has overflowed its bank, as rain continued to fall.

Several villages in Bac Ninh province have also been isolated due to flooding, state media reports said.

After making landfall on Vietnam’s north central coast on Monday (August 25, 2025) afternoon, Kajiki has since weakened into a tropical depression as it moved across to Laos on Tuesday (August 26, 2025) morning, the national weather agency said.

The agency warned that rain will continue in several parts of northern Vietnam, with some areas likely to get up to 150mm in six hours, potentially causing flash floods and landslides.

Before making landfall in Vietnam, Kajiki skirted the southern coast of China’s Hainan Island on Sunday (August 24, 2025), forcing Sanya City on the island to close businesses and public transport.

In Thailand, the Meteorological Department warned of heavy rain nationwide Tuesday (August 26, 2025). Residents in foothills and low-lying areas near waterways were warned about possible flash floods and landslips.