Death toll from devastating Indonesia floods passes 900

The death toll in Indonesia from recent flooding has passed 900, with hundreds still missing.

More than 100,000 homes were destroyed when a rare and powerful cyclone formed over the Malaca Strait last week, bringing torrential rain and landslides to parts of the South East Asian country.

Efforts to reach people in areas still cut off are ongoing, with aid having to be airdropped into some places.

The Indonesia floods were one of several extreme weather events to hit Asia in recent weeks, with the cumulative death toll in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam approaching 2,000.

The region's governor said response teams were still searching for bodies in "waist-deep" mud, according to the AFP news agency.

He said: "Many people need basic necessities. Many areas remain untouched in the remote areas of Aceh.

"People are not dying from the flood, but from starvation. That's how it is."

Indonesian media reported inmates were released from one prison when floodwaters threatened to engulf the facility, with officials saying there was nowhere else for them to be sent.

Land access to two areas, Sibolga City and Central Tapanuli, remained cut off as of Sunday, with aid only able to reach them by air and sea respectively.

There have been reports of looting at supermarkets in some areas.