Death toll from flooding in Indonesia reaches 142

At least 142 people have died in Indonesia in two weeks of floods.

At least 142 people have died in Indonesia in two weeks of floods.

The rainy season has caused chaos throughout the country since it began last month. Thousands were forced from their homes in Jakarta last week after the worst floods to hit the capital in 30 years.

At least 30 people died in Jakarta, police said, and another 30 in the nearby industrial towns of Tangerang and Bekasi.

In east Java, flooding engulfed several towns including Situbondo and Bondowoso, where 75 died. Another eight people died from landslides in northern Bali last week.

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The national disaster agency says it can not confirm the death toll because reports were still coming in from stricken areas.

The municipal health agency said thousands of people in Jakarta were suffering from diarrhoea and skin ailments from contaminated water.

Floods hit large parts of Indonesia every year. Environmentalists say illegal logging of hillsides is often a factor in the disasters.

PA