Devastating floods leave 20 dead in Indonesia

BOATS carried emergency supplies to desperate Indonesians today as overflowing rivers again burst banks following days of rain in the flood-stricken capital, leaving 20 dead and 340,000 homeless.

Hundreds of people remained on the second floors of their houses, either trapped or unwilling to abandon them despite warnings that muddy water four metres deep may rise in the coming days.

“Jakarta is on the highest alert level,” said Sihar Simanjuntak, an official monitoring water levels of rivers criss-crossing the city of 12 million people. “The floods are getting worse.”