Aerial footage from across Southeast Asia has revealed the scale of devastation left behind by last week’s catastrophic floods and landslides, as emergency crews struggle to deliver aid to communities cut off by collapsed roads, washed-out bridges, and destroyed communication lines. The death toll has surpassed 1,500 people across four countries, with officials warning that the number may continue to rise.

Indonesia has suffered the heaviest losses, with authorities confirming 867 deaths and hundreds more still unaccounted for. Entire villages have been swept away or buried under thick layers of mud and debris, leaving rescue teams to dig through unstable ground in search of survivors. Sri Lanka faces a similarly dire situation, reporting 486 deaths and widespread destruction that has left many communities unreachable by land.

Thailand and Malaysia, though affected on a smaller scale, have also recorded fatalities—185 in Thailand and three in Malaysia. Recovery efforts in those nations are more advanced, but emergency crews remain on alert as forecasts warn of additional rainfall that could threaten already weakened terrain.

Across Indonesia and Sri Lanka, nearly 900 people remain missing. Rescue workers say the need for aid far exceeds available resources, with shelters overcrowded and shortages of food, clean water, and medical supplies growing more urgent by the hour. Helicopter teams have been deployed to drop essential goods into isolated areas, but poor visibility and dangerous weather conditions continue to slow progress.

The footage, which shows vast stretches of submerged farmland, buckled highways, and collapsed homes, highlights the immense challenge facing relief operations. Local governments have acknowledged that damaged infrastructure has become one of the biggest barriers to saving lives, preventing heavy equipment from reaching the hardest-hit regions.

As emergency crews race against time, officials across the region are urging international partners to provide additional support to help stabilize affected communities and prevent a deepening humanitarian crisis.