One dead as flooding hits Indonesia capital

Widespread flooding hit the Indonesian capital yesterday after hours of torrential rain, with thousands of homes inundated, cars stranded and at least one person killed. Water up to 1.5 meters deep swamped parts of the Indonesian capital and nearby commuter towns after a thunderstorm overnight. People were forced from their houses in some places, with authorities setting up evacuation centers. The disaster agency said it had received more than 400 reports of floods across Jakarta. In Bekasi, a city within the Jakarta metropolitan area, one person drowned while about 280 others were forced to evacuate, the agency said. Images of the flooding showed major roads inundated in parts of the megacity of 10 million, people wading through deluged streets and cars in water up to their headlights. Drains were unable to cope with the torrents of water unleashed by the storm and rivers burst their banks, said disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.