No let-up in Indonesia flooding

Flooding that has killed at least five people and left 145,000 homeless in Indonesia showed no sign of abating today, as overflowing rivers sent muddy water gushing into homes and shops across Jakarta.

“Jakarta is now on the highest alert level,” said Sihar Simanjuntak, an official monitoring water levels at the scores of rivers that crisscross the densely packed city of 12 million people.

Two days of incessant rain over Jakarta and hills to its south triggered the city’s worst floods in recent memory on Friday, highlighting the country’s infrastructure problems as it tries to attract badly needed foreign investment.

Waters reaching four feet high in places have inundated more than 20,000 homes, school and hospitals in poor and wealthy districts alike, forcing authorities to cut off electricity and water supplies and paralysing transport networks.

Government agencies are struggling to provide aid to the homeless, many of whom are staying with friends or family on higher ground at mosques and government agencies.

Indonesia’s meteorological agency is forecasting rain for the next two weeks.