The death toll from floods and landslides across three provinces on Indonesia's Sumatra Island has risen to 702, with 499 others still listed as missing, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) said on Tuesday. Search and rescue operations are continuing at full speed across the affected areas, the agency said. Experts from Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said that the disaster was caused by continuous heavy rainfall triggered by a tropical cyclone. "The cyclone, caused by the interaction of atmospheric and sea surface temperatures and various internal processes, resulted in severe atmospheric instability, forming numerous rain clouds and bringing several days of heavy rainfall. These continuous downpours have led to the floods, flash floods, and landslides we are currently undergoing," Ida Pramuwardani, head of the early warning and weather prediction team of the BMKG, said on Monday in an interview with China Central Television. Pramuwardani said that in response to recent severe weather, the BMKG has increased the frequency of updating weather forecasts. The agency currently provides multi-level weather forecasts with time spans ranging from the upcoming six hours to the next month. Due to the impact of the floods, some gas stations in Indonesia had cars queuing for gas, causing traffic congestion in the area. Police officers were deployed to maintain order in the queue to avoid even worse traffic congestion, which could disrupt relief trucks and quick response teams from reaching hardest hit areas. SHOTLIST: Aidan Koting, North Sumatra, Indonesia - Dec 1, 2025 1. Various of heavy-duty machines clearing debris, mud; 2. Various of destroyed houses; 3. Various of muddy roads; 4. Uprooted trees; 5. Various of mud-covered home, stuff; 6. Machines working; 7. Various of locals; 8. Dump truck on mud; 9. Various of destroyed road; Jakarta, Indonesia - Dec 1, 2025 10. SOUNDBITE (Indonesian) Ida Pramuwardani, head, early warning and weather prediction team, Indonesian meteorology, climatology and geophysics agency (BMKG): "The cyclone, caused by the interaction of atmospheric and sea surface temperatures and various internal processes, resulted in severe atmospheric instability, forming numerous rain clouds and bringing several days of heavy rainfall. These continuous downpours have led to the floods, flash floods, and landslides we are currently undergoing."; North Sumatra, Indonesia - Dec 1, 2025 11. Various of vehicles at gas station; police officers; 12. Ambulance, traffic; 13. Trucks, traffic; Siborong-Borong, North Sumatra, Indonesia - Nov 30, 2025 14. Relief post; 15. Buildings, sign of Silangit Airport (now Raja Sisingamangaraja XII Airport), people; 16. Various of helicopters, airport staff. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]