Spanish
Bangkok.- Indonesian authorities raised to 921 the number of deaths from the floods that are ravaging the north of Sumatra island, according to the latest breakdown of figures from the emergency agency.
Search and rescue teams are still trying to locate another 392 people who are missing - a decrease of 128 compared to yesterday's data - among the mountains created by the mud that covers entire houses in some of the most affected regions. The Indonesian President, Prabowo Subianto, visited Aceh province in northern Sumatra today, one of the areas most affected by the disaster, where he announced several economic aid measures for those affected.Prabowo, who departed from Aceh to Pakistan for a two-day official visit, urged the authorities to expedite the distribution of humanitarian aid and food. In the most remote areas and where there is still no access by land, the teams use drones and helicopters to transport the supplies."Debts are forgiven because it is an extraordinary event," the president told a group of farmers in the village of Teupin Mane, reports the local channel CNBC.
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In addition to Indonesia, the country hardest hit by the recent coincidence of cyclones in South and Southeast Asia, severe floods have also been recorded in recent weeks in Thailand, with more than 275 deaths, and in Sri Lanka, where deaths exceed 620. The tropical storm and typhoon season is being especially harsh this year for these countries and experts attribute the intensity to the warming of the ocean, while its devastating impact is related to deforestation or lack of urban planning, among other factors.
