Indonesia: Death toll from Jakarta floods rises to 66

By Pizaro Gozali Idrus

JAKARTA (AA) - The death toll from severe floods and landslides that struck the Indonesian capital Jakarta over the New Year rose to 66, the state-run disaster management authority said Monday.

Agus Wibowo, the spokesman for Indonesian National Disaster Management Agency, said in a statement that some of the disaster-hit people started to return their homes, so marking a decline in the number of refugees at some shelters.

Wibowo said that the flood in the capital and nearby towns continues to recede, and several areas around Jakarta, Lebak Regency, Bogor City and Depok Regency dried up.

“Even though flood has receded in some areas, people are still advised to be vigilant,” he added.

The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) predicted harsh weather with heavy rains will continue to hit Jakarta and nearby towns until next week.

A total of 169 areas across Indonesia were reported on Wednesday to have been overwhelmed by floods, with 63 in Jakarta, 97 in West Java and nine regions in the western Banten province.

The BMKG recorded rainfall intensity on New Year's Eve at 377 millimeters (15 inches) per day, the highest since 2007 when it reached 340 mm per day.

Located in the equatorial belt, Indonesia with its tropical climate often suffers from flash floods and landslides, mainly triggered by monsoon rainfall between October and April.