Jakarta: At least nine dead after floods engulf Indonesia's capital on New Year's Eve

At least nine people were killed in Jakarta in a flood, the deadliest one that Indonesia has seen in years, on December 31 after torrential rains swamped the capital city throughout New Year's Eve. The megapolis was left engulfed by vast swathes of water by the colossal flood, local news agencies reported.

Moreover, following the floods, the city was encompassed in darkness as electricity got cut off in hundreds of waterlogged neighbourhoods across Greater Jakarta. The city, which houses about 30 million people, faced tremendous difficulties as the city's airport and even some train lines were cut off.

In a tragic incident, three people died of hypothermia and a 16-year-old was electrocuted by a live wire due to the floods, news agency PTI reported citing Jakarta Disaster Management Authority sources.

The incessant rainfall also triggered landslides across the city's outskirts, due to which four people were killed on Tuesday evening. Another incident involved an elderly couple who drowned when floodwaters reached as high as four metres (13 feet) in a district after a river burst banks. The couple was trapped in their home and couldn't escape in time.

Jakarta Disaster Management officials said that around 13,000 had been evacuated, however, the number of affected in the satellite cities surrounding the capital has still not been fixated upon. Authorities also warned people living near rivers to anticipate further flooding and advised them to practice caution.

Reports confirmed that this is the worst flood that Indonesia had experienced since 2013.