Floods paralyse Jakarta, triggering mass evacuation, killing at least 4
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Indonesian firefighters help people transport on a rubber boat through a flooded street in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013. Floods regularly hit parts of Jakarta in the rainy season, but Thursday's inundation following an intense rain storm appeared especially widespread. - PHOTO: AP
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Streets are flooded in Jakarta, Indonesia on Thursday, Jan 17, 2013. Seasonal rains triggered massive flooding in Indonesia's capital on Thursday, triggering the evacuation of at least 20,000 and paralyzing much of the city. Floods regularly hit parts of Jakarta in the rainy season, but the inundation following an intense rain storm was especially widespread. -- PHOTO: AP
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A man pushes his motorcycle through a flooded street in Jakarta, Indonesia on Thursday, Jan 17, 2013. Floods regularly hit parts of Jakarta in the rainy season, but Thursday's inundation following an intense rain storm appeared especially widespread. -- PHOTO: AP
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Indonesian rescuers carry people on a rubber boat through a flooded street in Jakarta, Indonesia on Thursday, Jan 17, 2013. Seasonal rains triggered massive flooding in Indonesia's capital on Thursday, killing at least four people, triggering the evacuation of at least 20,000 and paralyzing much of the city. -- PHOTO: AP
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Schoolchildren cross a flooded area at the business district in Jakarta on Jan 17, 2013. Heavy monsoon rains triggered severe flooding in large swathes of the Indonesian capital Jakarta on Thursday, with many government offices and businesses forced to closed because staff could not get to work. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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A man carries his son across a flooded area at the business district in Jakarta on Jan 17, 2013. Heavy monsoon rains triggered severe flooding in large swathes of the Indonesian capital Jakarta on Thursday, with many government offices and businesses forced to closed because staff could not get to work. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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People stand on the back of a truck in a flooded street in Jakarta, Indonesia on Thursday, Jan 17, 2013. Floods regularly hit parts of Jakarta in the rainy season, but Thursday's inundation following an intense rain storm appeared especially widespread. -- PHOTO: AP
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A father escorts his son as they evacuate a flooded area in Jakarta on Jan 17, 2013. Heavy monsoonal rains triggered severe flooding in large swathes of the Indonesian capital Jakarta on Thursday, with many government offices and businesses forced to closed because staff could not get to work. Weather officials warned the rains could get worse over the next few days and media reports said that thousands of people in Jakarta and its satellite cities had been forced to leave their homes because of the torrential downpours this week. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Women react as they flee from their flooded area in Jakarta on Jan 17, 2013. Heavy monsoonal rains triggered severe flooding in large swathes of the Indonesian capital Jakarta on Thursday, with many government offices and businesses forced to closed because staff could not get to work. Weather officials warned the rains could get worse over the next few days and media reports said that thousands of people in Jakarta and its satellite cities had been forced to leave their homes because of the torrential downpours this week. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Indonesians wade through floods in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013. -- PHOTO: AP
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Indonesian motorists navigate through a flooded main street in Jakarta on Jan 17, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
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An Idonesian firefighter helps people on a fire truck through a flooded street in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Jan 17, 2013. Seasonal rains triggered massive flooding in Indonesia's capital on Thursday, killing at least four people, triggering the evacuation of at least 20,000 and paralysing much of the city. -- PHOTO: AP
Indonesian firefighters help people transport on a rubber boat through a flooded street in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013. Floods regularly hit parts of Jakarta in the rainy season, but Thursday's inundation following an intense rain storm appeared especially widespread. - PHOTO: AP
Streets are flooded in Jakarta, Indonesia on Thursday, Jan 17, 2013. Seasonal rains triggered massive flooding in Indonesia's capital on Thursday, triggering the evacuation of at least 20,000 and paralyzing much of the city. Floods regularly hit parts of Jakarta in the rainy season, but the inundation following an intense rain storm was especially widespread. -- PHOTO: AP
A man pushes his motorcycle through a flooded street in Jakarta, Indonesia on Thursday, Jan 17, 2013. Floods regularly hit parts of Jakarta in the rainy season, but Thursday's inundation following an intense rain storm appeared especially widespread. -- PHOTO: AP
Indonesian rescuers carry people on a rubber boat through a flooded street in Jakarta, Indonesia on Thursday, Jan 17, 2013. Seasonal rains triggered massive flooding in Indonesia's capital on Thursday, killing at least four people, triggering the evacuation of at least 20,000 and paralyzing much of the city. -- PHOTO: AP
Schoolchildren cross a flooded area at the business district in Jakarta on Jan 17, 2013. Heavy monsoon rains triggered severe flooding in large swathes of the Indonesian capital Jakarta on Thursday, with many government offices and businesses forced to closed because staff could not get to work. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
A man carries his son across a flooded area at the business district in Jakarta on Jan 17, 2013. Heavy monsoon rains triggered severe flooding in large swathes of the Indonesian capital Jakarta on Thursday, with many government offices and businesses forced to closed because staff could not get to work. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
People stand on the back of a truck in a flooded street in Jakarta, Indonesia on Thursday, Jan 17, 2013. Floods regularly hit parts of Jakarta in the rainy season, but Thursday's inundation following an intense rain storm appeared especially widespread. -- PHOTO: AP
A father escorts his son as they evacuate a flooded area in Jakarta on Jan 17, 2013. Heavy monsoonal rains triggered severe flooding in large swathes of the Indonesian capital Jakarta on Thursday, with many government offices and businesses forced to closed because staff could not get to work. Weather officials warned the rains could get worse over the next few days and media reports said that thousands of people in Jakarta and its satellite cities had been forced to leave their homes because of the torrential downpours this week. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Women react as they flee from their flooded area in Jakarta on Jan 17, 2013. Heavy monsoonal rains triggered severe flooding in large swathes of the Indonesian capital Jakarta on Thursday, with many government offices and businesses forced to closed because staff could not get to work. Weather officials warned the rains could get worse over the next few days and media reports said that thousands of people in Jakarta and its satellite cities had been forced to leave their homes because of the torrential downpours this week. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Indonesians wade through floods in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013. -- PHOTO: AP
Indonesian motorists navigate through a flooded main street in Jakarta on Jan 17, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
An Idonesian firefighter helps people on a fire truck through a flooded street in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Jan 17, 2013. Seasonal rains triggered massive flooding in Indonesia's capital on Thursday, killing at least four people, triggering the evacuation of at least 20,000 and paralysing much of the city. -- PHOTO: AP
JAKARTA (AP) - Seasonal rains triggered massive flooding in Indonesia's capital on Thursday, killing at least four people, triggering the evacuation of at least 20,000 and paralysing much of the city.
Floods regularly hit parts of Jakarta in the rainy season, but the inundation following an intense rain storm was especially widespread. Few areas of the city of 14 million people were spared, with water levels up to two metres-high in some places. The main street through the city's business district was under around 50 centimetres of water, while waters also rushed into the presidential palace.
Traffic ground to a halt as floodwater washed into homes, offices, schools and roads. Most businesses did not open due to a lack of staff.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his foreign minister Marty Natalegawa were pictured standing in water up to their shins at the palace waiting for the arrival of Argentina's President Christina Kirchner, who is on a state visit. The meeting of the two leaders apparently went ahead.
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