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The death toll from floods and landslides triggered by Cyclone Ditwah rose sharply to 334 Sunday, Sri Lanka's disaster agency said, with many more still missing.It is the worst natural disaster to hit the island in two decades, and officials said the extent of damage in the worst-affected central region was only just being revealed as relief workers cleared roads blocked by fallen trees and mudslides.The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said the death toll had risen to 334, up from 212 earlier Sunday, with nearly 400 missing and more than 1.3mn people across the island affected by the record rains.President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who declared a state of emergency to deal with the disaster, vowed to build back with international support."We are facing the largest and most challenging natural disaster in our history," he said in an address to the nation. "Certainly, we will build a better nation than what existed before."The losses and damage are the worst since the devastating 2004 Asian tsunami that killed around 31,000 people and left more than a million homeless.Rain had subsided across Sri Lanka but low-lying areas of the capital were flooded on Sunday and authorities were bracing for a major relief operation.A Bell 212 helicopter carrying food for patients stranded at a hospital just north of Colombo crashed into a river on Sunday evening. All five crew members were taken to a nearby hospital.Another helicopter sent from India rescued 24 people Sunday, including a pregnant woman and a man in a wheelchair, marooned in the central town of Kotmale, about 90km northeast of Colombo, officials said.Pakistan was also sending rescue teams, the Sri Lankan Air Force said, while Japan will also send a team to assess Sri Lanka's immediate needs and has pledged assistance.The air force said two infants and a 10-year-old child had also been rescued from a hospital in the northern town of Chilaw, which was submerged on Saturday.Authorities said flood levels in the capital would take at least a day to recede, while dry weather was also forecast. Cyclone Ditwah moved north towards India on Saturday.Selvi, 46, a resident of the Colombo suburb of Wennawatte, left her flooded home Sunday, carrying four bags of clothes and valuables."My house is completely flooded. I don't know where to go, but I hope there is some safe shelter where I can take my family," she told AFP.Receding water levels in the town of Manampitiya, 250km northeast of Colombo, revealed massive destruction."Manampitiya is a flood-prone town, but I have never seen such a volume of water," said 72-year-old resident S Sivanandan.He told the local News Centre portal that businesses and property had been extensively damaged. A car had flipped upside down in front of his shop, he said.A woman in central Wellawaya said she heard a loud noise and went outside to see boulders rolling down a mountainside before stopping near her home."I saw trees falling and moving with the boulders. We are afraid to go back to our homes," she told reporters after moving to a shelter on safer ground.The National Blood Transfusion Service said supplies were short even though there have been relatively few injuries.The National Building Research Organisation, which monitors the stability of hills, said there was a high risk of further landslides because mountain slopes were still saturated with rainwater.The worst flooding since the turn of the century occurred in June 2003, when 254 people were killed. 

Indonesian and Thai authorities raced Sunday to clear debris and find hundreds of missing people as the death toll from devastating floods and landslides across Southeast Asia topped 600.Heavy monsoon rain overwhelmed swaths of Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia this week, leaving thousands of people stranded without shelter or critical supplies.At least two areas of Indonesia's worst-affected Sumatra island were still unreachable Sunday, and authorities said they had deployed two warships from Jakarta to deliver aid.Central Tapanuli and Sibolga city "require full attention due to being isolated", National Disaster agency head Suharyanto said in a statement, adding that the ships were expected in Sibolga today.The death toll in Indonesia rose to 442, while 402 were still missing, according to a tally published Sunday by the disaster authority.It said at least 646 people had been injured.In Sungai Nyalo village, about 100km from West Sumatra's capital Padang, floodwaters had mostly receded Sunday, leaving homes, vehicles and crops coated in thick grey mud.Authorities had not yet begun clearing roads, residents told AFP, and no outside assistance had arrived."Most villagers chose to stay; they didn't want to leave their houses behind," said Idris, 55, who, like many Indonesians, goes by one name.Across the island towards the north coast, an endangered Sumatran elephant lay buried in thick mud and debris near damaged buildings in Meureudu town.In Thailand, where at least 162 people were killed in one of the worst floods in a decade, authorities continued to deliver aid and clear the damage.Relief measures rolled out by the Thai government include compensation of up to 2mn baht ($62,000) for households that lost family members.However, there has been growing public criticism of Thailand's flood response, and two local officials have been suspended over their alleged failures.Two people were killed in Malaysia after floods left stretches of northern Perlis state underwater.The annual monsoon season, typically between June and September, often brings heavy rain, triggering landslides and flash floods.A tropical storm has exacerbated conditions, and the tolls in Indonesia and Thailand rank among the highest in floods in those countries in recent years.Climate change has affected storm patterns, including the duration and intensity of the season, leading to heavier rainfall, flash flooding and stronger wind gusts. 

Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) announced that eight people have died and 58 others were injured in floods and landslides in South Tapanuli Regency on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.The BNPB stated that the disasters affected 11 sub-districts, with 50 houses damaged and two bridges destroyed by the floods and landslides in North Tapanuli Regency.Additionally, 1,902 houses were affected by the floods in nine sub-districts in the central part of the province, and thousands of residents were forced to evacuate.Earlier this month, 15 people died and eight others went missing due to floods in eastern Indonesia.

Malaysian authorities announced on Monday that the recent floods in the country have displaced more than 10,000 people, with the northern state of Kelantan being the most affected.Kelantan, which has been experiencing continuous heavy rainfall for several days, recorded the evacuation of 8,248 people due to the floods. The displaced were moved to 33 flood relief centers, according to the authorities.The Meteorological Department has issued warnings of continued heavy rainfall and strong winds.In Dec. 2014, Malaysia experienced an unprecedented flood that struck several western states, resulting in the displacement of about 400,000 people after they lost their homes and belongings.

At least 44 people were killed in Mexico after days of heavy rains and flooding, the government said on Sunday. Torrential rains from tropical storms Priscilla and Raymond triggered landslides and flooding across five states. There were 18 people killed in Veracruz state, 16 in Hidalgo, nine in Puebla and one in Queretaro, a government statement said. The government of President Claudia Sheinbaum was managing a response plan to support 139 affected towns. Photos posted by the Mexican military showed people being evacuated by soldiers using life rafts, homes that were flooded with mud and rescue workers trudging through waist-height waters through town streets. "We continue with attention to the emergency in Veracruz, Hidalgo, Puebla, Queretaro, and San Luis Potosí, in coordination with the governor and the governors, as well as various federal authorities. The National Emergency Committee is in permanent session," Sheinbaum said on X. Mexico's civil defense authorities reported intense rainfall in 31 of 32 states, causing rivers to overflow, flooding entire villages, triggering landslides and collapsing roads and bridges. The central state of Hidalgo has been among the worst-affected areas, with authorities there reporting at least 22 dead, 1,000 homes damaged and 90 communities inaccessible to rescuers, the federal security secretariat said. It said that neighboring Puebla state had at least nine dead. Around 80,000 people have been affected by the extreme weather in Puebla alone, the state government said. Floods have killed five people in the eastern state of Veracruz and one in Queretaro state, in central Mexico, officials said. "We are deploying members and teams from the Mexican government to open roads and assist communities," wrote President Claudia Sheinbaum on X. She added that thousands of troops as well as boats, planes and helicopters have been deployed to assist the rescue efforts. The military will help distribute aid in affected areas, with more than 10,000 troops deployed, along with rescue equipment and vehicles. Shelters were open for those displaced from their homes. The main disaster area has been Sierra Madre Oriental, a mountain range that runs parallel to the Gulf of Mexico coast. It is dotted by small communities, many of which were blocked off on Friday.

At least 15 people were killed due to a landslide caused by heavy rains that swept away their bus in northern India. Local authorities reported that the accident occurred in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh, noting that rescue workers and villagers at the scene are continuing to search for survivors. Last week's heavy rains caused landslides and floods in Darjeeling, northeastern India, destroying approximately 5% of the region's famous tea plantations. The floods also washed away numerous roads, destroyed more than 500 homes, and killed at least 36 people in the area.

At least 42 people have died in Nepal due to landslides and floods triggered by heavy rains over the past 36 hours, authorities reported today. A Nepal Police spokesperson confirmed that 18 of the fatalities occurred in the eastern district of Ilam near the Indian border, while three others died from lightning strikes in southern Nepal. Local officials said several major highways have been closed or damaged by landslides and floods, leaving hundreds stranded and severely disrupting domestic flights, though international flights continue to operate. In southeastern Nepal, rising water levels of the Koshi River — known for causing annual deadly floods in India's Bihar state — have surpassed danger thresholds. The capital, Kathmandu, surrounded by hills, experienced river flooding that inundated roads and homes, isolating the city from the rest of the country.

Torrential rains and flash floods have wreaked havoc in many regions of Pakistan, claiming 972 lives and injuring 1,062 others since June 26. At least 972 people, including 266 children, 547 men, and 159 women, have lost their lives in flood-hit areas of the country in incidents related to torrential rains and flash flooding, according to the latest figures released by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).Rains and flash flooding also destroyed 8,481 homes. The latest statistics indicate that 910 people were killed, 1,044 injured, and 7,850 homes were destroyed.

Pakistani authorities announced that they evacuated more than 150,000 people from areas along three major rivers in Punjab province after receiving a warning from India about the release of excess water from one of its dams.Pakistani officials explained that recent heavy rains and floods have caused water levels to rise dangerously, while the discharge of water from the Indian side threatens to submerge large parts of Punjab.A spokesperson for Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority indicated that evacuations began before the latest Indian warning and are still ongoing. He pointed out the number includes approximately 35,000 people who left voluntarily following previous warnings, while army forces are participating in the evacuation operations.The three rivers, the Ravi, Sutlej, and Chenab, are experiencing moderate to heavy flooding, amid warnings of further heavy rains in Punjab and Pakistan-administered Kashmir in the coming hours.