Floods kill 7, displace about 11,000 in Indonesian capital

Widespread flooding in Indonesia's capital of Jakarta has left seven people dead and about 11,000 others displaced, officials said here Saturday. The officials also said bigger floods are also expected as heavy downpours are forecast within the next two days in the city. Floods caused by torrential rains have forced some residents in the capital to flee their homes and take shelters in government office buildings, schools and makeshift tents, said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman of the national disaster agency. Since Tuesday, as many as seven people had been killed who were swept away by floods, and now (Saturday), the floods had forced 10, 530 people to live in shelters, he told Xinhua by phone. It was forecast that there will be heavier downpours on Saturday and Sunday, said Sutopo. Jakarta was paralyzed by floods on Jan. 17, 2013. Meanwhile, in North Sulawesi province, a total of 20 people had been killed by floods and landslide as of Saturday, the national disaster agency said.