JAKARTA: A torrential downpour in Semarang, the provincial capital of Central Java, has caused severe flooding, which has inundated major parts of the city including the Old Town area and the nearby Tawang Station.
In the Old Town, which is home to many colonial-era buildings, flooding to a depth of 50 centimeters has prevented motorists from traversing the area.
The flooding has also submerged parts of Tawang Station, prompting state railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) to reroute journeys away from the station.
Operations at the city’s other railway station Poncol, which handles mostly economy-class passengers, are not affected 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. Sr. Comr. 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.
No fatalities have been reported.
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.
