Severe floods kill five in Indonesia's capital

Five people were killed in the severe floods that submerged entire neighbourhoods in Indonesia's capital Jakarta, authorities said Sunday.

The city was struck by torrential rains over the weekend, which flooded dozens of major roads and forced hundreds of people to rush to emergency shelters.

A 67-year-old man was found dead after he became trapped in his waterlogged house in the badly hit southern part of the capital on Saturday, Jakarta disaster mitigation agency head Sabdo Kurnianto said. 

Street food vendors clean the mud off plates and dishes. AFP

Three boys died after being swept away by the flood and one girl drowned.

Indonesia's meteorological agency warned that Greater Jakarta -- a region of around 30 million people that is regularly hit by floods in the rainy season -- can expect more heavy downpours next week.

"The river overflowed and brought a lot of mud... I have suffered great financial loss," said Ali Fatullah, a fruit seller in the town of Bekasi on the outskirts of Jakarta. 

Firefighters hose away mud along a road. AFP

Kurnianto said some 1,700 people remained in shelters, though many residents had started returning to their homes.

Floodwaters had hit 200 neighbourhoods in the region, and 40 were still under at least one foot of water on Sunday.

Agence France-Presse