On Monday, Head of Karawang Social Affairs and Disaster Mitigation Office Rochuyun A. Santosa stated that the floods have become an overwhelming disaster as 25 out of the 30 subdistricts in Karawang have been inundated.
The torrential rains have continued to pound several villages for past few days, thereby causing some major rivers to overflow.
"The rivers are Citarum, Cibeet, and Cilamaya. Some medium-sized rivers also overflowed and caused flooding," Rochuyun pointed out.
Water ranging between 50cm to two meters in height inundated thousands of houses. Thousands hectares of paddy fields were also flooded.
Rochuyun forecast that natural disasters such as flood, landslides, and whirlwind, which hit the Karawang region, will cost losses worth Rp2.3 billion.
"The losses were based on the damages inflicted to the buildings and farm areas," he added.
Heavy flooding also cut the road access of the north coastal route (Pantura) in Subang, thereby leading to severe congestion and traffic jams.
"I have been stranded in this bus for the past two days and two nights due to the congestion in Pantura," remarked Sunaryo, a bus passenger traveling from Purworejo to Depok.
Floods inundated parts of the Pantura route such as in Pamanukan and Ciasem.
Reporting by M.Ali Khumaini
EDITED BY INE.
Editor: Suryanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2014
