Asia flood death toll surpasses 1,500 as calls grow to fight deforestation

The death toll from last week’s catastrophic floods and landslides in parts of Asia surged past 1,500 Thursday as rescue teams raced to reach survivors.

PADANG, Indonesia — The death toll from last week’s catastrophic floods and landslides in parts of Asia surged past 1,500 Thursday as rescue teams raced to reach survivors isolated by the disaster, with hundreds of people still unaccounted for across the region.

The latest figure came as meteorologists in Indonesia warned of renewed rainfall across North Sumatra, West Sumatra and Aceh provinces in coming days, raising fears of further devastation in areas already reeling from deadly floods.

Indonesian villagers in Bireuen, Aceh, used a makeshift cable car to cross a river on Tuesday after the bridge was destroyed by a flash flood.Amanda Jufrian / AFP via Getty ImagesThe tragedy was compounded by warnings that decades of deforestation caused by unchecked development, mining and palm oil plantations may have worsened the devastation. Calls have grown for the government to act.

“We need the government to investigate and fix forest management,” said Rangga Adiputra, a 31-year-old teacher whose home in West Sumatra was swept away. The hills above his village on the outskirts of Padang city had been scarred by illegal logging.

“We don’t want this costly disaster to happen again,” he said.