Jakarta flood claims three lives

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Floods, triggered by hours of heavy rains on Friday in Jakarta, claimed three lives in West Jakarta and forced thousands of people to leave their homes, chief of the Crisis Management Center at the Health Ministry, Rustam Pakaya, said on Saturday.

He said the three people who drowned in the floods were identified as Fahmi, a three-year old boy of Kebun Jeruk sub district; Poniyem, a 50-year old woman of Kembangan sub district; and Yuyarnel, a 20-year old man of Palmerah sub district.

Rustam Pakaya said the floods also forced thousands of people in the capital city to evacuate because their homes were inundated by flood waters.

More than 40 locations across Jakarta were inundated by flood waters reaching heights of up to one meter. The flooding forced 360 people in West Jakarta, around 2,000 in East Jakarta, and 600 others in Central Jakarta to abandon their homes and take shelter in school buildings, houses of worship, and other safer areas made available by the Jakarta city administration.

About provisions to preserve the health of the evacuees, Pakaya said Jakarta`s field coordination unit (Satkorlak) had provided them with food and medical assistance, and a number of rubber dinghies.

As of 1 pm on Saturday afternoon gray clouds remained drifting in the sky over Jakarta.

Meanwhile, the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) said light rain would fall in Jakarta and environs on Saturday evening and last all night.(*)

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Former Indonesian dictator Soharto dies

JAKARTA, Indonesia - Former dictator Suharto, an army general who crushed Indonesia's communist movement and pushed aside the country's founding father to usher in 32 years of tough rule that saw up to a million political opponents killed, died Sunday. He was 86.

"He has died," Dr. Christian Johannes told The Associated Press, adding that he died at 1:10 p.m.

Dozens of doctors on Suharto's medical team had been rushed to the Pertamina Hospital in the capital, Jakarta, after his blood pressure fell suddenly Saturday night. Suharto had slipped out of consciousness for the first time in more than three weeks of treatment, doctors said.

Suharto had been in intensive care with lung, heart and kidney failure since he was admitted to the hospital on Jan. 4. Over the past week his physicians had spoken of a recovery, but by Sunday that had changed dramatically.

Suharto, who led a regime widely regarded as one of the 20th century's most brutal and corrupt, has lived a reclusive life in a comfortable villa in downtown Jakarta for the past decade.

He had been in and out of the hospital several times since being toppled by a pro-democracy uprising during the 1997-1998 Asian financial crisis for heart problems and internal bleeding.

Historians say up to 800,000 alleged communist sympathizers were killed during Suharto's rise to power from 1965 to 1968. His troops killed another 300,000 in military operations against independence movements in Papua, Aceh and East Timor.

Suharto's poor health had kept him from facing trial, and no one has been punished for the killings.

Corruption watchdog Transparency International has said Suharto and his family amassed billions of dollars in stolen state funds, allegations the family is fighting in court.

Slide of Embankments Tug at 82 Persons

by Vernida

KARANGANYAR ; Flood and slide of embankments attacked some areas in Center Java near East Java’s border at Wednesday, December 26^th 2007. In Karang Anyar Resident, slide of embankments happened at 8 areas and tug at 65 persons. But In Wonogiri Resident tug at 17 persons.

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Indonesian President commands Mardiyanto, Minister of Internal Affairs to view and observe about emergency handling there. That command was revealed by Andy Malarangeng, President’s spokesperson.

In Karang Anyar Resident, slide embankments happened at 8 areas, which are Tawangmangu, Karangpandan, Matesih, Ngargoyoso, Jatiyoso, Jumapolo, Jenawi and Kerjo. Based data on “Satkorlak” Karanganyar resident until 7.30 PM dead victims total are 65 persons, and 37 of there are the dead victims in Tawangmangu.

It was rained since Tuesday make main street which connect Tawangmangu and Karangpandan, Ngargoyoso, and Karanganyar closed by slide of embankments. While Tawangmangu’s alternative line closed by soil in Nganoman.

Governor of Center Java, Ali Mufiz comes to disaster location. He request effort of opening Tawangmangu access can do fast. The prediction is material of soil and stones which close street will be cleaned in 3 until 4 days.