Floods engulf Indonesian capital, 5 killed

Jakarta, Feb 3: At least five people have been killed insevere floods in Indonesia's capital and surrounding areas with morethan 100,000 people left homeless after days of torrential rain, adisaster official said today.

Floods in the rainy season in Indonesia are common, but thedevastation this week have been the worst in five years, causing chaoson roads, stranding residents and shutting train lines.

''Five people died, three from East Jakarta and two from Bekasi,''said Firman Hairuyusuf an official at Indonesia's natural disastercentre, referring to a town east of the capital.

''The worst hit area is Bekasi. In Jakarta the waters have startedto recede,'' he said, adding that the muddy brown flood waters hadengulfed mosques and freeways as well as homes.

Rustam Pakaya, a senior health ministry official, said bytelephone that 15 medical teams, some in rubber boats, had been sent tosome of the worst hit areas.

Other reports said the floods, which have affected both slum areasand posh housing estates in the low lying city built originally onswampland, were even deeper in some areas.

The governor of Jakarta Sutiyoso declared yesterday the highestalert for Angke in North Jakarta after water reached 3 metres, theJakarta Post newspaper reported.

The floods have caused major power blackouts and telephone lineswere also down in some parts of the city of 9 million as floodingaffected underground cables, officials said.

Soldiers were also drafted in to help evacuate residents in some areas.

Scores of the city buses that many residents rely on were stranded in traffic jams or due to lack of fuel yesterday.

Endro Santoso, an official at the Meteorology agency, told theJakarta Post that the city could suffer another week of heavy rains.

Reuters >