JAKARTA, Indonesia _ Heavy monsoon rain in the Indonesian capital and nearby areas since New Year's eve triggered likely the worst flooding in almost seven years, submerging homes and cars and shutting one of Jakarta's airports.
More than 700 areas suffered from power outages, according to state-run electricity company Perusahaan Listrik Negara. The Halim Perdanakusuma airport had to shut and cancel some flights as the runway was flooded. Many roads in Jakarta were also not passable.
Rainfall is expected to continue in the next three days, according to the country's weather agency, known as BMKG, in its Twitter account, urging people to store important documents in a safe place and to prepare for power supply backup.
In January 2013, more than 30 million residents of Jakarta were affected by flooding that killed dozens of people and inundated areas including the central business district.
On Wednesday, 10 outbound flights were canceled and five were diverted to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport after Halim Perdanakusuma had to close, Metro TV reported, citing Air Force spokesman Fajar Adriyanto.
