Floods trap thousands as canals overflow

JAKARTA (JP): Thousands were trapped in their homes or had to flee as Tuesday night's heavy rains overflowed canals inundating parts of Central and West Jakarta.

Yesterday, flooded areas included the subdistricts of Halim, Kramat Jati, and Makasar, all in East Jakarta, and Petamburan in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta.

According to the public order office, rain and the overflowing Cipinang river caused 75 centimeter deep floods in Makasar causing some of its 2,500 residents to seek shelter in their neighbors' houses in unflooded areas.

Besides continuous rain, water from the Sunter Lake in East Jakarta inundated Kramat Jati. The 2,310 residents were stranded at home while 50 centimeter deep floods hit the area.

Meanwhile, 2,000 Petamburan residents were trapped in their homes as 30 centimeter deep floods.

Water rose to about the same height in Halim Perdanakusuma subdistrict and in Makasar, home to 1,820 people. Rain started at 3 a.m. and continued for seven hours.

The Red Cross and social services agencies have donated unprocessed rice and packaged noodles.

The administration is conducting several programs to prevent a repetition of last year's floods which killed at least 30 people. Among others measures it is dredging rivers and adding more water pumps. (02)