Floods wreak havoc in Jakarta

At least two dead and 20 others injured as residents flee their homes

FLOODS and landslides have struck Indonesia’s capital Jakarta and its surrounding areas, leaving two people dead, one missing and 20 others injured, according to officials.

A river overflowed its banks due to torrential rains since Monday and submerged surrounding areas in the capital, which had recently been under a partial Covid-19 lockdown again, said National Disaster Management Agency spokesman Raditya Jati.

In West Java province’s Sukabumi district, flash floods killed two people with another missing and a search mission underway, said Ramli Prasetio, a press officer at the Jakarta Search and Rescue Office, yesterday by phone.

Hundreds of rescuers had been taking part in the search and rescue operation, including soldiers, police officers and those from the Jakarta search and rescue office, Ramli added.

So far, the weather conditions has been favourable for the operation, according to him.

“Many of the affected residents have sought shelter at their relatives’ homes on their own initiative,” he added.

In Jakarta, Ramli noted that the floods had not caused any casualties.

Meanwhile, Raditya said the floods in the capital had forced 15 persons to flee their homes and take shelter in safer grounds.

Similarly in Sukabumi district, 210 families sought shelter elsewhere after flash floods and landslides hit the area.

The disaster left 20 people injured and seriously damaged nine houses and 10 bridges in the district, the spokesman said.

A warning had since been put in place by the meteorology and geophysics agency over the possibility of extreme weather up until tomorrow.

Residents were cautioned to be on alert for the possibility of more floods, flash floods, landslides as well as whirlwinds, the agency said. — Xinhua