Jakarta (ANTARA News) - State-owned oil and gas firm Pertamina is launching a market operation of three-kilogram cylinder liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to meet the need of residents in the flood-affected Jakarta and its surroundings.

Pertamina Corporate Communication Vice President Ali Mundakir said here on Sunday the market operation had been launched since last Saturday. It will launch the operations until the flood emergency status in Jakarta is lifted on January 20, 2013.

"We will launch the operations for nine days since yesterday until January 27," the Pertamina executive said.

He said that the operations were being carried out in three locations, namely in the Sukapura village office in Cilincing, North Jakarta, at a refueling station in Jln Otista, East Jakarta, in Toko Eliza shop in Jalan Otista, East Jakarta and in Toko Eliza shop in Jln Pangadegan Barat (in front of the Police Housing complex) in South Jakarta.

"The market operations are open beginning at 3.30 pm," Ali said.

At the market operations, a three-kilogram cylinder LPG is sold at Rp12,500 per cylinder.

Ali said that Pertamina had also provided two inflatable boats to be used to evacuate flood victims.

The assistance was handed over by the Pertamina President Director Karen Agustiawan on Friday.

Jakarta was hit by a major flood on Thursday, which nearly crippled the capital city`s life, causing the death of at least 15 people and halting hundreds of buses, trains and factories.

The big floods on Thursday and Friday still left big pools of water in several areas of Jakarta causing transport problem.

In some parts of the city especially in West Jakarta, the water levels remained high from 30 centimeters to 1 meter until Sunday morning, police said.

The street in front of the Region Income Office at Jalan Daan Mogot, West Jakarta the water level is as high as 1 meter, police said in a statement.

A number of areas in West Jakarta such as the campuses of the Universities of Trisakti and Tarumanegara in Grogol are still isolated with deep water pools blocking transport to that places.

The road leading to Citraland Mall was full of water as deep as 30 centimeters forcing cars to move slowly causing heavy traffic jams.

Worst still is that the entire area of Pluit, a residential area of rich Jakartan families is also still submerged 2 meters below the water level.

Few people had time to save their valuable including luxurious cars with the floods hit the area before many people were aware of it.

There are no estimate yet of losses in materials but more than ten people had been reported dead in the past four days in the city (A014/B003)

Editor: Kunto Wibisono
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