JAKARTA, Feb 25, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Dozens of Jakarta neighbourhoods were
flooded Tuesday after torrential rains pounded Indonesia’s capital, less than
two months after nearly 70 people were killed in some of the megacity’s worst
flooding in years.
There were no immediate reports of casualties after the latest deluge, but
parts of the city ground to a halt as whole neighbourhoods were swamped in
muddy water, while power outages hit some districts.
At least 81 neighbourhoods were inundated with a dozen toll roads closed
and some commuter train lines shuttered, according to an announcement by
Indonesia’s Disaster Mitigation Agency.
More torrential rains were expected later in the day.
“So the flooding will likely spread,” agency spokesperson Agus Wibowo said
on Twitter.
Floodwaters in some districts were as high as 127 centimetres (4 feet).
The low-lying city is prone to flooding during the wet season which starts
around November.
Torrential rain in January triggered flooding and landslides that killed
nearly 70 people in and around Jakarta while thousands more were forced to
evacuate to shelters.