Soldiers and health workers have sprayed Indonesia's capital with disinfectant to fend off possible diseases spread by massive flooding that has killed 60 people and affected hundreds of thousands.
Children play on a flooded street in Jakarta, Indonesia, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020. Landslides and floods triggered by torrential downpours have left dozens of people dead in and around Indonesia's capital, as rescuers struggled to search for people apparently buried under tons of mud, officials said Saturday.
About 11,000 health workers were deployed to provide medical care for people affected by the flooding, Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto said in a statement. He said there had been no recorded cases of leptospirosis, tetanus or serious waterborne diseases. Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Sunday failed to meet survivors in the devastated village of Sukajaya, where the highest number of deaths were reported, as his helicopter was unable to land due to bad weather, the presidential secretariat said in a statement. The village is in the hardest-hit district of Bogor, where 16 people were killed by flash floods and landslides.
Government data on Sunday showed that some 92,200 people were still unable to return home as the filthy waters submerged their houses up to 1.5 meters high. Yuniarti said food and medicine appeared to be sufficient, with most shelters visited in recent days by authorities and private organizations delivering regular supplies of food.
"We call on all involved to make sure children are kept safe and have a roof over their heads, and food to eat," Dino Satria, Save the Children's humanitarian director in Indonesia, said in a statement.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Indonesia's flooded capital disinfected to fend off diseaseIndonesia's capital has been sprayed with disinfectant after massive flooding killed 60 people and affected hundreds of thousands more. It's the worst flooding in the greater Jakarta area since 2007.
Read more »
After Indonesia's deadly floods, few hear climate 'wake up call'Floods that killed more than 50 people in Indonesia's capital after the big...
Read more »
60 dead in landslides and flash floods in Indonesia's capitalMonsoon rains and rising rivers submerged a dozen districts in the greater Jakarta area and caused landslides that buried at least a dozen people.
Read more »
53 dead in landslides, flash floods in Indonesia's capitalLandslides and floods triggered by torrential downpours in Indonesia's capital have left at least 53 people dead as rescuers were struggling to search people apparently buried under tons of mud
Read more »
Jakarta flooding deaths rise to 53, nearly 175,000 displacedNearly 175,000 people remain displaced in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta and nearby...
Read more »
Jakarta flooding deaths rise to 53, nearly 175,000 displacedIndonesia's Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said climate change had increased the risk of extreme weather and warned that heavy rainfall could last until mid-February, with Jan. 11-15 an expected peak.
Read more »