Authorities warn of killer diseases in flood-stricken Jakarta

INDONESIA: Filthy flood water has inundated large parts of Indonesia's capital, sparking fears that killer diseases may spread among nearly 340,000 people forced from their homes by the worst flooding to hit the tropical city in recent memory.

At least 29 people have drowned or been electrocuted since rivers broke their banks Thursday after days of torrential rain in Jakarta and hills to its south, police said Monday.

Hundreds of thousands of residents remain without electricity and water. The sky cleared Monday and storm waters receded in some parts of the city of 12 million people.

Residents in some districts began cleaning their homes, witnesses and media reports said. But the country's meteorological agency has predicted more rain in the coming days, and officials warned that more floods were possible because river levels were still high.

The capital is not immune, but it has rarely, if ever, seen floods as bad as those in recent days, which have washed into rich and poor districts alike, as well as scores of markets, schools and businesses.

Poor, low-lying river areas - where thousands of people are crammed into shacks - were only accessible by boat on Monday.

Environmentalists blame the annual flooding on trash-clogged storm drains and rivers, poor urban planning and deforestation of hillsides south of the city, often to make space for the development of luxury villas.

Soldiers and emergency workers on rafts rescued scores of people who fled to upper stories to escape waters as deep as 4 meters (12 feet). Other residents rented horse-drawn carriages to ford flooded streets or were pulled to dry land in garbage carts.

Jakarta, Tuesday, AP