Jakarta flood disturbs business, displaces residents

Motorists ride their motorcycles through a flooded intersection after heavy seasonal rains have flooded parts of Jakarta, February 10, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

JAKARTA - Floods hitting Indonesian capital Jakarta has paralyzed business activities in parts of the city and forced residents to take shelters.

In downtown, waters submerged the area by up to one meter high on Tuesday, hampering traffic.

Flooding also inundated other parts of the city and caused many governmental officials to halt work.

Some 6,000 people have been displaced by the floods following heavy downpours that drive rivers bloated and burst their banks, the national disaster management agency reported on Tuesday.

"The figures could rise as there are still data have not reported," Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman of the agency told Xinhua via phone.

Earlier on Tuesday, the agency issued an early warning over possible rise of waters though the intensity of the rain has eased, he said.

Police and soldiers were deployed to help evacuation and secure the affected areas as many are reluctant to flee home.

With rubber boats or trucks, police helped residents to pass areas flooded by waters.

Seasonal downpours often incur floods in Indonesia, a chain of 17,500 islands where millions of people live in vulnerable flood plains that are near to rivers.