Death toll from floods in Jakarta reaches 43 in the embattled capital of Indonesia

Death toll from floods in Jakarta reaches 43 in the embattled capital of Indonesia 

Kanako Itamae and Chika Mori

Modern Tokyo Times

It is known that all least 43 people have perished in the environs of the capital of Indonesia from floods. Hence, the horrendous rain deluge that befell Jakarta is not only taking many lives, it is also creating an economic nightmare for people caught up in the crisis. Therefore, with landslides adding to the mayhem, the already weak infrastructure is further being eroded after monsoon rains struck the region.

Sadly, three elderly citizens died from hypothermia because the emergency services are overstretched. Thus, people have died directly from the flooding, from landslides, electrocuted, hypothermia, and other factors related to the monsoon.

The Guardian reports, The city has put in place flood mitigation projects, but Bintang Wananda, who works on irrigation at Indonesia’s National Development Planning Agency, said that “very crucial” flood pumps were not working at seven different regions he surveyed yesterday. He estimated that only about 10% of the pumps in Jakarta were operational.”

President Joko Widodo pointed the finger at flood control projects being delayed. Indeed, the leader of Indonesia is seeking to move the capital to another part of this nation.

The BBC reports, “Jakarta, home to millions of people, is one of the fastest-sinking cities in the world. Experts say it could be entirely submerged by 2050.”

It appears that the death toll will further increase because hundreds of thousands of people have been hit by the brutal floods. At the same time, many people remain stranded. Equally important, the enormous gap between rich and poor means that the most vulnerable face further possible dire consequences. For example, wastewater mixing with floodwater could trigger various diseases in the poorer parts of Jakarta that have been badly hit.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-50981453

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/jan/04/death-toll-rises-in-indonesias-sinking-capital-as-flood-defences-struggle

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