Latest Data: Sumatra Flood Death Victims, Sri Lanka, Thailand Reaches More Than 1,500 People

JAKARTA - The death toll from floods and landslides last week in several parts of Asia jumped past 1,500 on Thursday.

Rescue teams rushed to reach survivors who were isolated by the disaster, while hundreds of people were still missing across the region.

This tragedy with so many deaths and destructions exacerbated by decades of deforestation warnings caused by uncontrolled development, mining, and oil palm plantations may have exacerbated the damage. Calls for the government to act is increasing.

"We need the government to investigate and improve forest management," said Rangga Adiputra, a 31-year-old teacher whose house in West Sumatra was swept away by floods reported by the Associated Press, Thursday, December 4.

Hills above his village on the outskirts of Padang have been damaged by illegal logging.

"We don't want this disaster that costs a lot to happen again," he said.

Authorities said 837 people were confirmed dead in Indonesia, 479 in Sri Lanka and 185 in Thailand, as well as three in Malaysia.

Thousands of people are reported to have experienced severe food and clean water shortages in isolated areas.

Floods and landslides swept away roads and bridges and cut off telecommunications networks, making many communities inaccessible.