Torrential rains flood Indonesia capital, power supplies cut
25 February, 2020
A large number of Jakarta neighbourhoods were flooded Tuesday (Feb 25) after torrential rains pounded Indonesia's capital, significantly less than two months after practically 70 persons were killed in a few of the megacity's worst flooding in years.
There were no immediate reports of casualties following the latest deluge, but parts of the town 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 twelve toll roads closed plus some commuter train lines shuttered, according to an announcement by Indonesia's Disaster Mitigation Agency.
Flooding was particularly extreme in the Bekasi area west of the administrative centre.
More torrential rains were expected later in your day.
"So the flooding will likely spread," agency spokesperson Agus Wibowo said on Twitter.
Floodwaters in a few districts were as high as 127cm.
The elements agency linked the rains to tropical cyclones in Australia and in the Indian ocean that had caused inclement weather over the islands of Java, Bali and Nusa Tenggara. The agency also warned of high waves in the seas south of Java.
Jakarta police, via its Instagram account, warned of road closures because of flooding and train services also suffered major disruption.
Videos and images posted by Jakarta police showed flooded street within an professional area in East Jakarta with lines of halted trucks and scores of motorcycles.
Indonesian state electricity utility Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) said in a statement that electricity was shut down to 326 substations to make sure safety.
The low-lying city is susceptible to flooding through the wet season which starts around November.
Torrential rain in January triggered flooding and landslides that killed nearly 70 people around Jakarta while thousands more were forced to evacuate to shelters.
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