JAKARTA POST/ANN – Heavy rainfall in Semarang, the capital of Central Java, Indonesia, has led to severe flooding in various parts of the city, including the historic Old Town area and the nearby Tawang Station. No fatalities have been reported.
In the Old Town, where many colonial-era buildings are located, floodwaters measuring up to 50 centimetres have made it impossible for vehicles to pass through.
The flooding has also affected Tawang Station, causing parts of it to be submerged. As a result, state railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) has redirected train routes away from the station.
Operations at Poncol, the city’s other railway station catering mainly to economy-class passengers, remain unaffected by the flooding.
“We still have inundation going on right now. This is because of the high level of rainfall,” chief of the Semarang Police traffic division Adj Senior Commander Yunaldi said, as quoted by Antara. Severe thunderstorms occurred on Wednesday causing floods and landslides in several parts of Semarang.
Authorities in the city reported that there were at least 10 reports of landslides throughout Wednesday. Flooding also submerged the road network connecting Semarang and other major cities on the northern coast of Java.
Spokesman for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Abdul Muhari said the agency was speeding the delivery of aid to Semarang. The agency has also dispatched equipment to mitigate the impact of the severe flooding. Muhari said the BNPB was currently operating two water pumps to remove water inundating roads connecting residential areas in Semarang.
He added that efforts were still underway to airlift residents from submerged homes.
