16 Villages Flooded In Indonesia's Banten

By Mohd Iswandi Kasan Anuar JAKARTA, March 3 (Bernama) -- At least 16 villages in Banten, the westernmost province of Indonesia’s island of Java, ended up flooded on Wednesday after high-intensity rain for the past two days. Thousands of residents in Pandeglang district have been evacuated as the flood water ranges from 40 to 150 centimeters, submerging over 1,000 homes. Indonesia’s National Board for Disaster Management's spokesperson Abdul Muhari said, however, water levels in several locations have been declining since 8.30 pm on Tuesday. Local governments and residents are being urged to stay vigilant if there is high-intensity rain over one hour or more. Communities around river and cliff slopes are in danger of a sudden rise in the water levels and soil erosion, he said in a statement. Light intensity rainfall is expected to occur until tomorrow, the country's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency said, adding that heavy rainfall with thunderstorms and strong wind is also possible. -- BERNAMA