Friday February 09, 2007

29 dead in Indonesia flood; 340,000 flee

news.yahoo.com :

Filthy brown water flooded large parts of Indonesia's capital Jakarta, forcing 340,000 people from their homes and cutting off power and clean water in the city, where at least 29 have died after days of torrential rain. Authorities estimated between 40% and 70% of the city of 12 million, which covers an area of more than 255 square miles, had been submerged.

In scenes reminiscent of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, residents of Jakarta waded through poor neighborhoods in water up to their necks, or floated on makeshift rafts bearing clothes and other salvaged possessions. Some scrambled onto roofs to await rescue from soldiers and emergency workers in rubber dinghies from floodwaters as deep as 12 feet. Rising along with the water was the threat of diseases such as diarrhea and dysentery. Also increasing were complaints and anger about the response to the floods by local officials.

Landslides and flash floods during the wet season kill hundreds in Indonesia every year, and the capital is not immune, but it has rarely - if ever - seen floods as bad as those in recent days. The high water washed into rich and poor districts alike, inundating scores of markets, schools and businesses.

Environmentalists blame the annual flooding on trash-clogged storm drains and rivers, inadequate urban planning, and deforestation of hillsides south of the city, often to make space for the development of luxury villas. Low-lying river areas — where thousands of poor people are crammed into shacks made of plywood and metal sheets — are often the most devastated.

(2007-02-09 07:41:03 SGT) [Env] Permalink

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