Disasters in Asia, 600 dead and thousands perished after frightening floods

This year's Monson, reinforced by tropical Cyclones, has brought one of the worst disasters of recent decades to Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Sri Lanka.

Intensive ruins began on the Indonesian island Wednesday, destroying houses, bridges and infrastructure. Over 300 people have lost their lives, while nearly 300 are considered missing, according to the national disaster management agency. Residents describe moments of horror.

“During the flood, everything disappeared,” said one Aceh resident for Reuters. “My house collapsed, my clothes didn't even get away. ”

In some areas water has completely swallowed up homes. Arini Amalia, resident of Aceh, told the BBC that when she returned a day after her rescue, she found only one hollow of water: “The house was sunk. ”

Rescue operations are difficult because of extreme weather, while thousands are staying in emergency shelters.

In the southern province of Songkhla, the water level rose to 3m. At least 160 people have lost their lives, and more than 3.8 million have been affected in 10 provinces.

The town of Hat Yai experienced 335mm of rainfall within 24 hours the highest figure recorded in 300 years. The local hospital Morgu was so full that they had to use refrigerator trucks for the bodies.

“We were stuck in the water for seven days and no agency came to help,” said a resident for BBC Thai.

The government has promised compensations of up to 2 million baht (about $62,000) for families who lost relatives.

In Malaysia, although the death toll is lower, floods have hit the northern state of Perlis, with two deaths and tens of thousands of displaced residents.

Sri Lanka, hit by Cyclone Ditwah, has declared a state of emergency. More than 130 people have lost their lives and about 170 figure themselves missing. More than 15,000 houses have been destroyed, and a third of the country has lost electricity and drinking water.

Meteorologists say the extreme situation has been caused by the interaction of tajphun Koto in the Philippines and the extremely rare formation of the Senyar Cyclone in Malaka Strait. These phenomena, combined with the Monson season, have brought unprecedented rainfall and large landslides.

According to experts, climate change is increasing storm intensity, bringing more rainfall, immediate flooding and the most powerful winds in the region.

With hundreds missing and still isolated areas, authorities warn that the number of victims could rise significantly in the days ahead. Rescue search operations continue despite unstable weather and difficult terrain. /Periscope