Flood victims camp in public cemetery

JAKARTA (JP): Thousands of people who fled their homes in South Cipinang Besar and North Cipinang Besar, East Jakarta, because of flooding on Tuesday morning have sought refuge among the dead, forced to camp in a local cemetery.

Some 3,996 families from 11 community units (RW) in South Cipinang Besar have moved to Prumpung public cemetery on higher ground.

Another 702 families from North Cipinang Besar are camped in nearby mosques and public areas after the Cipinang river overflowed.

The flood, which began inundating houses along the river at 4 a.m., had reached levels between 0.5 meters to 1.5 meters by the afternoon.

There were signs of the water subsiding late on Tuesday but residents were not expected to be able to return home soon.

The sudden flood is believed to have been caused by a surge upstream in the Bogor area.

Flood was also reported in some housing complexes in Depok, south of here.

South Cipinang Besar subdistrict head Husein Thoyib complained on Tuesday evening that victims had yet to receive assistance from city officials.

"We have often been asked to donate quickly to the Indonesian Red Cross, but now if we need aid it comes slowly," Husein said.

Flood victims badly needed staple foods and tents for shelter, he said.

Two state elementary schools, SDN 02, SDN 08, and a vocational high school in the area also had been forced to close.

Residents told how they woke in panic with the floodwaters rising quickly around them.

Several lamented that they could not save their belongings, particularly electrical appliances.

A communal kitchen has been established in the cemetery to cook food donated by surrounding residents.

Many of the flood victims were seen asking for donations from passing motorists.

Unlike in the past, neighboring Cipinang Muara subdistrict escaped the flood this time around, thanks to a project to normalize the section of Cipinang river crossing the area. (jun)