Floods in Indonesia’s capital have killed at least 26 people and sent more than 100,000 fleeing their homes. police said.
Jakarta police spokesman Col. Rikwanto says Monday that most of the victims were electrocuted or drowned by floodwaters reaching up to two meters (6.5 feet) high in some places. About 103,000 people are now living in temporary shelters.
The floods reached their peak Thursday after a dike in central Jakarta collapsed. They engulfed around 30 percent of the city of 14 million, including its business district centre and the presidential palace.
Successive governments have done little to mitigate the flooding threat. Indonesia’s industry minister M.S. Hidayat said the weeklong flooding that hit the capital may lead foreign investors to flee to neighbouring countries.
