Indonesia – Jakarta Floods Leave 47 Dead

by in Asia, News

Update 04 January 2020

Disaster authorities report that, as of 04 January 2020, a total of 53 people have now died in flooding and landslides in Greater Jakarta since disaster first struck on 01 January, 2020. Also as of 04 January, 173,000 people had been displaced from their homes, according to AHA Centre.

Original report, 03 January 2020

As many as 47 people have now died as a result of the massive flooding in Jakarta Metropolitan Area in Indonesia on 01 January, 2020. Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said that 409,000 people have been affected by the floods, with over 366,000 of them in Bekasi City.

Thousands have been displaced after massive flooding in Jakarta, Indonesia, 01 January 2020. Photo; BNPB

National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) reported 11 deaths in Bogor City, 11 in Bogor Regency, 7 in East Jakarta, 7 in Lebak Regency, 3 in Depok City and 3 in Bekasi City. Other fatalities occurred in Tengarang, South Tangerang, Bekasi Regency and Central and West Jakarta. One person is still missing in Lebak Regency. BNPB said the deaths were a result of hypothermia, electric shock, landslides and drowning in flood waters.

Dozens of locations across Jakarta Metropolitan Area were flooded. As of 02 January, authorities reported that flooding had started to recede in some areas.  The number of displaced has fallen from an estimated 62,000 people to around 22,000. Meanwhile search and rescue teams continue to rescue dozens of people trapped in flooded buildings in affected areas.

BNPB said that Indonesia’s Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (Badan Pengkajian dan Penerapan Teknologi – BPPT) plans to use weather modification technology in an attempt to reduce the rainfall in the Greater Jakarta area to prevent additional flooding.

Widespread flooding hit Jakarta on 01 January, 2019. Photo: Jakarta Government

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