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.
INDONESIAN PRESIDENT CALLED FOR MORE COORDINATION
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 that the death toll had now reached 21.
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.
Television footage on Thursday showed rescuers in the nearby city of Tangerang evacuating people, guiding them across a strong current by holding on to a rope.
Jakarta police on their Twitter account warned that a number of main streets across the capital were not yet passable, accompanied by a video showing a postal truck being stuck in the middle of a road.
Jakarta and its surroundings are home to more than 30 million people. More than 50 people died in one of the capital’s deadliest floods in 2007 and five years ago much of the center of the city was inundated after canals overflowed.
