JAKARTA, Indonesia: Indonesia was forced to temporarily close its main international airport Friday due to poor visibility following torrential rains, officials said. Almost 150 planes were delayed or diverted and thousands of passengers stranded.
Roads across much of the sprawling capital were submerged in knee-deep water, bringing traffic to a near standstill and forcing many people to abandon their vehicles — including the country's president. The main highway leading to Sukarno-Hatta International Airport also was cut off for much of the day.
The airport was reopened after five hours.
"The runways weren't flooded," said Hariyanto, a spokesman for the airport. "But visibility fell to less than 300 meters (330 yards) — compared to the minimum standard of 500 meters (550 yards)."
Seasonal downpours cause dozens of landslides and flash floods each year in Indonesia, where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near fertile plains, and the bustling metropolis of 12 million is rarely immune.
Last year, more than 40 people were killed in Jakarta after days of incessant rains caused rivers to burst their banks. Critics said rampant overdevelopment and clogged sewage canals were partly to blame.
Hariyanto said 92 flights were delayed and 55 diverted to other airports Friday, including several international flights.
At least 8,000 passengers were stranded after hours of pounding rain inundated nearby highways, he said. Officials deployed dozens of buses to transport some to Jakarta above the black, muddy water.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was forced to abandon his bulletproof Mercedes-Benz Sedan two kilometers (1.24 miles) from his palace over fears it would get stuck in the flood. He jumped into one of his secret service's SUVs, leaving his motorcade behind.
Source: International Herald Tribune
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