INDONESIA - Jakarta floods death toll rises

February 4, 2007

Sunday, 4 February 2007, 13:56 GMT

Jakarta floods death toll rises

Large swathes of Jakarta are under water

At least 20 people have been killed and 340,000 made homeless by massive floods that have swept through the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.

Three days of torrential rain have caused rivers to burst their banks, sending muddy water up to 3m (10ft) deep into homes and businesses. Authorities say the city of nine million people is now on its highest level of alert. The floods are said to be the worst to hit Jakarta for five years. Meteorologists have warned the downpour is likely to continue for another week, and with heavy rains falling on hilly regions to the south, more flooding is threatened. Power cuts Rising floodwaters have cut water supplies and communications to parts of the city and forced medical teams to use boats and helicopters to reach many of those left stranded. More than 670,000 people have been left without electricity.

Staff manning a key floodgate in the east of the capital said it had failed and the water flowing in had caused the main canal to burst its banks. Some main roads have been closed and patients in some hospitals moved to upper floors. The death toll attributed to the floods has continued to rise since the downpour began at the start of the month. " Twenty have died since the first day of flooding. Seven were dragged under by strong currents, nine were electrocuted and the others because of sickness, " I Ketut Untung Yoga Ana, a Jakarta police spokesman, told Reuters news agency. Many of the homeless are sheltering in schools and mosques, while others are refusing to leave their partially flooded homes. Melissa Whyte told the BBC that houses in her area, Cilandak, were " totally washed out and... flooded with up to three metres of water " . " After living here for 12 years I have never seen the floods as bad as this, " she said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/6328873.stm

Dear List Members,

As predicted yesterday, things are getting worse in Jakarta.

" As Indonesia will enter Mo/Sa/

Ve/Ve/Ve today at 17:29 GMT, Venus is L1 in D6 and D12, transit Venus is in H6 afflicted by natal Rahu, and natal Venus is being afflicted by transit Mars, probability exists of a great disaster in the country in the coming days. All attention is needed. "

Best wishes,

Jorge