REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The current flooding in Jakarta was not caused by natural factors, rain intensity in particular, a Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) official said.
"Rain intensity in the capital city is lower in 2014 than in 2013 when larger flooding occurred," head of the agency's extreme weather early warning division Achmad Zukri said.
In 2013, Jakarta had more rains than the buffer zones. In 2014, only West Jakarta, East Jakarta and South Jakarta had more rains than the rest of the capital city.
"In addition, the rains at the start of this year were not as heavy as those in 2013. Part of the rains fell on the New Year eve. Last year, heavy rains fell for a few days," he said.
Floods that hit several parts of Jakarta in the past two days forced 10,530 people to evacuate to higher grounds until Saturday, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Board (BNPB).
"The 10,530 evacuees are being sheltered in 97 different locations," BNPB Chairman Syamsul Maarif said at a press conference here on Saturday.
The board noted that the floods left seven people dead. Of these, five died from drowning and electrical shock and two others due to illnesses.
According to data from the agency, 10,530 people have fled their homes until Saturday evening. The evacuees included 5,514 in East Jakarta, 371 in South Jakarta, 3,948 in West Jakarta, and 687 in North Jakarta. No residents in Central Jakarta have been evacuated.
The flood evacuees were sheltered at 31 locations in East Jakarta, 18 in South Jakarta, 39 sites in West Jakarta and nine in North Jakarta.
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