Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, floods frequently but was simply not prepared for the massive rainfall it saw at the start of the new decade.
Since it began on 31 December, 53 people have lost their lives and almost 1,80,000 people have been displaced, according to disaster mitigation agency spokesman Agus Wibowo.
The capital city and nearby towns have been completely ravaged by flash floods and landslides. In fact, climate change has increased the risk of extreme weather and it is feared that heavy rainfall could last until mid-February, peaking between January 11 to 15.
The Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) called this ‘one of the most extreme rainfall’ events since records began in 1866.
Train lines have been blocked and there have been power outages in several areas. As the city sinks further, its 30 million citizens fall deeper at risk.