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More than 1,200 dead from floods in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand as rescue efforts intensify

Related Topics: Batang Toru, Indonesia

BATANG TORU, Indonesia (AP) — Emergency crews raced to reach survivors and recover more bodies Tuesday after the death toll from last week’s catastrophic floods and landslides surged past 1,200 in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand, with more than 800 people missing.

Days of heavy monsoon rains inundated vast areas, leaving thousands stranded and many clinging to rooftops waiting for help. The flooding and landslides killed at least 1,230 people, with 659 people confirmed dead in Indonesia, 390 in Sri Lanka and 181 in Thailand, authorities said Tuesday.

In Indonesia, the hardest-hit nation, rescuers are struggling to access villages in Sumatra island, where roads have been washed out and bridges have collapsed.