Jakarta – Heavy rains from Monday to Tuesday have caused flooding in several areas, including the Presidential Palace complex in Central Jakarta.
The front yard of Baiturrahim Mosque, next to Merdeka Palace on Jl. Medan Merdeka Utara, was inundated, Antara news agency reported on Tuesday.
"The palace has been hit by flooding," Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung said in a short message on Tuesday.
Pramono showed pictures and videos of palace caretakers trying to clear water. Soon the pictures and the videos spread to social media, prompting people to blame Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan for the flooding.
By 7 a.m. floodwaters had receded. "There's no longer inundation as of about 7 a.m.," said Presidential Secretariat deputy head of protocol, press and media Bey Triadi Machmudin as quoted by Antara, while showing videos of the palace.
The widespread flooding on Tuesday has caused major traffic and transportation disruption. The police have canceled the odd-even traffic policy for the day but several toll roads are flooded, creating traffic jams in morning rush hour.