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Flood death toll rises to 21 in Indonesian capital

World Materials 2 January 2020 08:54 (UTC +04:00)
The death toll from flash floods and landslides in and around Indonesia’s capital Jakarta reached at least 21 on Thursday
Flood death toll rises to 21 in Indonesian capital

The death toll from flash floods and landslides in and around Indonesia’s capital Jakarta reached at least 21 on Thursday, with more heavy rain forecast, authorities said, Trend reports citing Reuters.

The flood, one of the deadliest in years, displaced more than 30,000 people and caused chaos across parts of Southeast Asia’s biggest city with train lines blocked and power outages in some areas.

Social affairs ministry spokesman Joko Hariyanto said in a message to Reuters that the death toll had now reached 21.

Swathes of Jakarta and nearby towns were inundated after heavy rain fell on Dec. 31 and into the early hours of New Year’s Day.

Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo told reporters on Thursday that evacuation and safety procedures should be prioritized, but called for more coordination between city administrations with the central government.

On his Twitter page, Widodo blamed delays in flood control infrastructure projects for the flooding. He said some projects have been delayed since 2017 due to land acquisition problems.

Authorities did not give a full breakdown of the causes of death for all of the victims, but earlier said four people had drowned, four died in landslides and four more were electrocuted, while three died of hypothermia.

Indonesia’s Cabinet Secretary said in a statement, citing the geophysics agency, that extreme weather may continue across Indonesia until next Jan. 7 and warned people to remain on alert for further flooding or landslides.

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