Death Toll of Jakarta Floods Reaches 11

Jakarta (Antara) - The Jakarta Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) has reported that the death toll due to the floods in Jakarta has reached 11. "Since the onset of the floods until today (January 12-20), the death toll has reached 11 people," Head of Jakarta BPBD's Control Section, Basuki Rakhmat, stated here on Monday. The deaths were caused mainly due to illness, electrocution, and drowning, he added. "Apart from the above mentioned figure, another victim, a resident of Lubang Buaya (East Jakarta) has gone missing after being swept away by the flood waters," he claimed. The floods have displaced a total of 63,958 Jakarta residents and they are currently being accommodated at 293 refugee camps. Over the past eight days, around 293 urban villages in Jakarta have also been flooded. East Jakarta was the worst-affected area, as the flood waters reached heights ranging between 20 centimeters to two meters. Until Monday, January 21, heavy rains continued to drench Jakarta and its neighboring cities, including Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi, particularly during the night, reported the agency. "The intensity of rainfall is forecast to reduce over the next two days (January 22-23)," Sutopo quoted. (*)