Indonesia floods kill 21, forced thousands to displace

At least Twenty-one people died after deadliest floods hit Indonesia’s capital in years.

Torrential rains on New Year´s Eve left vast swathes of the megalopolis submerged and cause heavy floods.

Thousands were evacuated to temporary shelters.

Electricity switched off in scores of waterlogged neighbourhoods across Jakarta.

30 million people forced to leave homes, with some train lines and one of the city´s airports also shut.

Indonesia´s National Disaster Mitigation Agency called on residents to leave flood-hit areas.

“There 19,079 displaced residents who evacuated at temporary shelters throughout Jakarta,” city governor told.

“The rain in Jakarta has stopped, now we are waiting for the water to recede.”

Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency (BNPB) said at least 21 people had died in flash floods and landslides triggered by the rain in Jakarta.

At least 10 died after severe Indonesia floods hit in April

Most of the deaths due to hypothermia, though one was a teenager who electrocuted by a power line.

Television footage showed cars almost completely submerged and people wading through meters murky brown water.

Indonesia’s state electricity utility said it had switched off the electricity in hundreds of districts in Jakarta.

The floods also caused the temporary closure of the runway at Jakarta’s domestic Halim airport.

Flights redirected to the capital’ bigger Soekarno airport.

Earlier, more than 50 people died in one of the deadliest floods in 2007.

Whereas, five years ago much of the center of the city inundated after canals overflowed.

Earlier in April, 10 people dead and eight gone missing after days of heavy rain-triggered floods on the Indonesian island.

Some 12,000 people evacuated while hundreds of buildings, bridges and roads damaged by the severe weather.

It affected nine districts and towns across Bengkulu province, officials said.

The waters have receded in some places.