Jakarta floods: Indonesia sprays disinfectant to prevent disease, as death toll hits 60

Torrential rains hit the greater Jakarta area on New Year’s Eve, with over 90,000 people still unable to return to their homes

Authorities are disinfecting hard-hit areas to prevent diseases spread by flooding, such as dengue and leptospirosis

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Jakarta residents ride on a flooded street after torrential downpours caused floods that left dozens of people dead and increased the risk of diseases such as dengue and leptospirosis. Photo: AP

Published: 8:21pm, 5 Jan 2020Updated: 8:23pm, 5 Jan 2020

Soldiers and health workers sprayed Indonesia’s capital with disinfectant on Sunday to fend off possible diseases spread by massive flooding that has killed 60 people and affected hundreds of thousands.

Monsoon rains and rising rivers submerged a dozen districts in the greater Jakarta area starting on Wednesday after extreme torrential rains hit on New Year’s Eve, causing landslides in hilly areas on the outskirts of the capital that buried scores of people.

It’s the worst flooding in the area since 2007, when 80 people were killed over 10 days.

Municipal workers clean up after floods in Jakarta, Indonesia. Photo: AP

More than a thousand soldiers and health workers sprayed disinfectant in hard-hit areas on Sunday to anticipate possible diseases spread by flooding, such as dengue and leptospirosis, a potentially fatal disease spread by rat’s urine, said Ridwan Carman, who is in charge of emergency response and recovery for the Indonesian Red Cross.

About 11,000 health workers were deployed to provide medical care for people affected by the flooding, Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto said in a statement. He said there had been no recorded cases of leptospirosis, tetanus or serious waterborne diseases.