At least 631 killed in Indonesia floods

Indonesia confirmed that at least 631 people had died and 472 were missing after floods and landslides tore through several provinces in one of the country’s worst disasters in recent years, The Independent reported.

Entire communities in the provinces of North Sumatra, West Sumatra and Aceh remained cut off after bridges collapsed, roads were washed away and communication lines failed.

The Southeast Asian country’s disaster management agency said nearly 3.3 million people had been affected and almost a million evacuated, including 290,700 in Sumatra and Aceh. At least 28,000 houses were damaged as the government continued efforts to restore roads, bridges and communication services.

Soldiers and volunteers dug through knee-deep mud and debris to pull bodies from ruined homes as President Prabowo Subianto toured some of the affected areas and promised to rebuild basic services.

He also warned local authorities to prepare for harsher climate-driven weather patterns.

“We need to confront climate change effectively,” the president told reporters. “Local governments must take a significant role in safeguarding the environment and preparing for the extreme weather conditions that will arise from future climate change.”