Some people take to paddling in small rubber lifeboats or tyre inner-tubes to get around in Indonesia. (Photo: AFP/VNA) Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesian rescuers have been stepping up search for those missing after flashfloods and landslides,triggered by torrential rains, hit Jakarta and surrounding areas on December31, killing at least 43 people.
The fatalitiesare likely to increase as many people have been reported unaccounted for,according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB)’s spokesperson Agus Wibowo.
Bogor city was the hardest hit where 17 peoplewere confirmed dead, followed by Jakarta (9 deaths) and Lebak Regency (8deaths), the BNPB reported on January 3.
It was theworst flooding in Indonesia since 2013.
The Indonesiangovernment has deployed multiple forces to cope with the disaster aftermaths. Hundredsof pumps have been used to suck water out of residential areas and publicinfrastructure, like railways.
On January 2,the Agency for Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) said it will useweather modification technology to divert rain clouds from Greater Jakarta toprevent additional flooding.
The BPPT plansto cause the rain to fall in the Sunda Strait or Lampung, but if the wind blowsto the east, the rainfall will be directed to dams such as Jatiluhur andJatigede in the southeast of Jakarta.
The BNPB andIndonesian Military will support the BPPT by deploying two aircraft in theweather modification mission./.
VNA
