"Aminah Ali, 63, was at home in the Pidie Jaya district of Indonesia's Aceh province when the rains started at midnight on Wednesday. The waters rose gradually. It seemed like the usual flooding that happens during monsoon season, but then came a loud roar of water: her village was suddenly inundated. With help from her son, she managed to clamber on to her rooftop, where she waited for 24 hours."
"Busra Ishak, 60, also from Pidie Jaya, lost his house, which was swept away without a trace by the force of the waters. There were hundreds of tons of logs [in the water], and even an elephant could be killed by the incredibly strong current, he said. He survived by swimming and grabbing on to a coconut tree, where he stayed for more than 12 hours. One of his older sisters was killed."
Seasonal monsoon rains combined with tropical cyclones have inundated parts of Southeast Asia, causing catastrophic flooding across Indonesia's Sumatra island, Sri Lanka, southern Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam. More than 1,100 people have been killed, with over 600 fatalities reported in Sumatra and at least 176 in southern Thailand. Entire villages were swept away by sudden surges of water reaching three meters high, destroying houses, uprooting trees and carrying hundreds of tons of debris. Survivors reported clambering onto rooftops or trees, waiting for hours or days for rescue, losing all possessions and lacking basic clothing. Communications and power outages have hampered contact and relief efforts.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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