Indonesia's flooded capital disinfected to fend off disease

JAKARTA - Soldiers and health workers sprayed Indonesia's capital with disinfectant on Sunday (Jan 5) 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 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.

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 Mr Ridwan Carman, who is in charge of emergency response and recovery for the Indonesian Red Cross.

from Asia
Read More