53 dead in landslides, flash floods in Indonesia's capital
Source: AP
By NINIEK KARMINI
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Landslides and floods triggered by torrential downpours have left at least 53 people dead in and around Indonesia’s capital, as rescuers struggled to search for people apparently buried under tons of mud, officials said Saturday.
Monsoon rains and rising rivers submerged a dozen districts in the greater Jakarta area and caused landslides that buried at least a dozen people.
National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Agus Wibowo said the fatalities included those who had drowned or been electrocuted since rivers broke their banks early Wednesday after extreme torrential rains hit on New Year’s Eve. Three elderly people died of hypothermia.
It’s the worst flooding in the area since 2007, when 80 people were killed over 10 days.
A woman rides a tricycle on a flooded street in Jakarta, Indonesia, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2020. Monsoon rains and rising rivers submerged parts of greater Jakarta and caused landslides in Bogor and Depok districts on the city's outskirts as well as in neighboring Lebak, which buried a number of people. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
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