Jakarta sees worst flood since 2013, 53 reported dead by now

January 4, 2020 2:49 PM | Skymet Weather Team

Multiple regions in Jakarta and nearby towns were inundated after heavy rain lashed the city on December 31 and into the early hours of New Year’s Day.

As per the recent figures rolled out by Indonesia's disaster agency at least 53 people have been killed in the floods as of now.

More than 170,000 people had to take refuge in government shelters after multiple neighbourhoods were submerged.

Torrential rains began on New Year's Eve over the city unleashing flash floods and landslides in the region and neighbouring Lebak at the south end of Java island.

In fact, in the hard-hit Bekasi, on the eastern outskirts of Jakarta, waterline marks can be seen reaching as high as the second floors of buildings.

The Indonesian government is planning to start cloud seeding to the west of the capital to prevent approaching rainfall from pounding the region.

As of now, waters have receded in many areas and power was being restored after being cut off in hundreds of districts.

As a matter of fact, Jakarta is regularly hit by floods during the rainy season each year. However, this week's disaster marks Jakarta's worst flooding since 2013.

Urban planning experts said the disaster was partly due to record rainfall. But Jakarta's infrastructure problems are also to be blamed.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has announced a plan to move the country's capital to Borneo island to take the pressure off Jakarta, which suffers from some of the world's worst traffic jams and is fast sinking due to excessive groundwater extraction.

Image Credits – Devpolicy Blog

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