Jakarta: "Severe flooding that has killed at least 20people and forced 340,000 to flee their homes continued to paralyse much of theIndonesian capital today for a fifth day," officials said. 

Water had been reportedly receding in some places, but inother areas including in Cileduk district in the southwest of Jakarta floodwaters were up again followingovernight rains upstream.

Authorities have maintained the highest alert as weatherforecasters warned that heavy rains would continue in the densely populatedcapital and upper areas around the city of Bogor, which could trigger rivers to bursttheir banks.

By early Monday morning, the severe flooding in Jakarta and surrounding areashad kept many residents still trapped in their houses, desperate to beevacuated. Officials feared that the death toll could still climb.

Television footage showed floodwaters still reachingrooftops in both slum areas and upmarket housing estates, while businessactivity remained at a standstill as floodwaters disrupted transit.

Residents claimed that this year's flooding was worse thanthat of 2002, which left 21 dead and forced more than 300,000 people to fleetheir homes.

This year's severe flooding has caused major powerblackouts, disrupted Internet access and downed countless telephone lines insome parts of Jakarta.

Many residents, including in the worst hit areas, insistedon staying to take care of their houses and belongings, though the water levelkept rising and currents were strong from a nearby river that had topped itsbanks.

Dozens of people including children were seen still strandedon the upper floors of their houses, while the government dispatched medicalteams on rubber rafts into the worst hit regions to prevent outbreaks ofdisease among residents lacking clean drinking water.

"We fear that diarrhoea and dysentery may break out, aswell as illnesses spread by rats," said Rustam Pakaya from the healthministry crisis centre.

"People must be careful not to drink dirty water,"he said.

Jakartapolice deployed 12,660 personnel, while military authorities deployed around1,300 army troops and 429 navy personnel have been sent across the capital withboats, trucks and other vehicles to help evacuate people.

Jakartais vulnerable to flooding even from minor rain because many areas of the cityare near or below sea level, and drainage systems are poor.