Jakarta Claims Flood Affects Tiny Part of the City

Jakarta. An overnight downpour has flooded Jakarta on Saturday morning but a city official was quick to claim that the impact was not serious as less than 1 percent of neighborhood areas have been affected.

Jakarta's disaster mitigation agency (BPBD) reported, as of Saturday at 6.00 a.m, several areas in South Jakarta and East Jakarta are still inundated.

"About 193 neighborhood units [or RT] or 0.633 percent of the total 30,470 RT [in Jakarta] are affected," Jakarta BPBD's acting head Sabdo Kurnianto said in his statement on Saturday, as quoted from Jakarta Globe's sister publication Beritasatu.com.

As many as 379 family heads with 1,380 people have evacuated their homes. No deaths had been reported from the flooding.

Sabdo reported the flood water in South Jakarta ranges from 40 to 150 cm. Whilst it can reach up to a high 180 cm in East Jakarta.

According to Sabdo, the areas that remain affected are due to the heavy rainfall and the overflowing of Ciliwung river, Krukut River, and Pesanggrahan river in South Jakarta. 

"As well as the overflowed connecting channel PHB Sulaiman, Sunter river, and Cipinang river in East Jakarta."