As of Friday morning, the death toll owing to the flooding had reached 43Bogor, W Java (ANTARA) - Flash floods and landslides ravaging certain areas in Jakarta and several districts and cities in West Java and Banten provinces over the past 72 hours claimed at least 43 lives and affected 409 thousand others.
Most of the affected people were found in Bekasi City in West Java, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesman, Agus Wibowo, noted in a press statement that ANTARA quoted from the agency's official website in Jakarta on Friday.
The agency recorded that the catastrophe impacted 366,274 residents of Bekasi City, while 20,939 and 13,230 people respectively in Jakarta and Bogor District, West Java, bore the brunt of the floods.
The flash floods and landslides also struck the areas of Lebak District and Tangerang Selatan City in Banten Province as well as those in Bekasi District, Bogor City, Depok City, and Cikarang District in West Java Province, Wibowo stated.
In assisting social workers provide food packs for flood survivors in Jakarta, state-owned oil and gas company PT Pertamina (Persero) distributed 146 Bright Gas and 12-kilogram gas canisters to cater to the demands of 13 public kitchens.
The company's spokesperson, Dewi Sri Utami, had earlier remarked that the gas canisters were distributed to public kitchens on Thursday after those from PT Pertamina's Marketing Operation Region III coordinated with the authorities of BNPB and Jakarta's Social Affairs Office.
A total of 146 gas canisters were handed over to 13 of the 20 public kitchens that the authorities had set up around the capital city to provide food packs to the flood survivors, she remarked, adding that the gas canisters will again be distributed to those in need.
In the meantime, the Jakarta Metropolitan Police revealed on Friday morning that floodwaters had continued to inundate several streets around Jakarta, so motorists and drivers were advised to exercise caution and be wary of the road conditions.
According to the Jakarta Metropolitan Police's Traffic Management Center, among the flooded road sections were those located in West Jakarta, such as Panjang Street in front of a McDonald outlet and Daan Mogot Street in front of Indosiar Building.
As of Friday at 4:57 a.m. local time, the floodwaters on Panjang Street in front of a McDonald outlet had reached 40 up to 50 centimeters in height, while Daan Mogot Street was swamped with floodwaters estimated to reach 40 up to 80 centimeters high as of 4:59 a.m. local time.
"Hence, at the moment, the road sections are highly risky for vehicles to ply on," the police cautioned.
The flash floods have inflicted suffering on the people and resulted in their displacement. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) revealed that, as of Friday morning, the death toll owing to the flooding had reached 43.
Nine of them were Jakarta's residents: M. Ali (82), Siti Hawa (72), Willi Surahman, Sutarmi (73), Agus (19), Sanusi, Arfiqo Alif (16), Yuda Irawan (29), and Susanti. Among them were those who had died of drowning and electric shock. Related news: Seven people killed in West Java's floods, landslides
Related news: BNPB will apply weather modification technology to overcome flooding
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Reporter: Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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