The death toll from floods in Jakarta increased to 26 while thousands evacuated

Authorities said 26 people died due to the highest rainfall in more than 20 years, while thousands of people were evacuated to the capital of Indonesia, Jakarta, due to flooding and landslides.

Due to the deadliest flood in years, chaos erupted in parts of the largest city in Southeast Asia, and rail lines were blocked in some areas. On December 31, after heavy rains and falls in the early hours of the new year, the people of Jakarta and neighboring cities flooded.

Data from the Ministry of Social Affairs showed that 21 people had died in the floods since the previous figure of 21.

As of Thursday morning, only more than 62,000 people had been evacuated to Jakarta, said Agus Wibowo, a spokesman for the disaster reduction agency, although later in the day, he told the Metro TV news channel that the number of evacuations It had been reduced to about 35,000 people.

According to the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), rainfall at an airport in eastern Jakarta measured 377 millimeters (15 inches) during massive floods, at least since 1996. The most daily reading is.

Umar Dani, 52, and his family were evacuated from their home in eastern Jakarta in a rubber boat at night due to rising water levels on their necks.

“It hasn’t been filled here for so long. We didn’t have the opportunity to bring anything,” he said.

“I have to live on the streets now.”

President Joko Widodo told reporters that evacuation and security measures should be prioritized and called for greater coordination between the city administration and the central government.

On its Twitter page, Widodo attributed the flood delays in flood control infrastructure projects. 

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