20,000 forced from homes by Jakarta deluge
At least four people have died and more than 20,000 people have been forced from their homes after seasonal rains triggered massive flooding in Indonesia’s capital.
Floods regularly hit parts of Jakarta in the rainy season but yesterday’s deluge following an intense rain storm appeared especially widespread.
The army deployed dinghies in the capital to help rescue those trapped by floodwater which washed into homes, offices and schools across the city of 14 million people. In some places, water was two metres (6.5 feet) high.
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Hide AdPresident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono stood in water up to his shins at the presidential palace waiting for Argentina’s President Cristina Kirchner, who is on a state visit. “I have no problem with the palace being flooded,” Yudhoyono said. “The most important thing is the people are protected.”