Jakarta floods displace residents, disturbs business

Floods have paralysed business activities and displaced residents in this Indonesian capital.

In downtown Jakarta, flood waters submerged the area by up to one metre high Tuesday, hampering traffic, Xinhua reported.

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

Some 6,000 people have been displaced by the floods following heavy downpour, the national disaster management agency said.

"The figures could rise as there are still unreported data," an agency official said.

Earlier in the day, 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 evacuate and secure the affected areas as many are reluctant to flee home.