The tragedy provoked by recent heavy rains. An entire residential area in the south west suburbs is submerged. Witnesses tell: "it was like being caught in the middle of a tsunami".

Jakarta (AsiaNews/Agencies) – The death toll from the collapse of a dam in a south west suburb of Jakarta stands at 50 people.  Water invaded over 400 houses of the residential area of Tangerang. The number of victims is expected to rise in the following hours

The tragedy took place at 2 am local time: the walls of the Situ Gintung dam, which formed the small artifical lake, could no longer contain the abundant rains which have fallen over recent days and they collapsed.  An out an out tidal wave of water pured on to the suburbs if the city, more than two metres high - a "tsunami" according to witnesses - submerging entire areas.

Images transmitted by Metro TV show people swimmimg in the water searching for shelter, rescue teams trying to reach survivors, amny of whom have sought refuge on the roofs of houses.  "It was like being caught up in the middle of tsunami" a local resident tells.  "People were shouting ' the water is coming' and the dogs were barking like mad.  I heard loud knocks on the door and asked myself who it was - the man tells - but it was a wall of water".

The monsoon season in Indonesia - from November to late February - seas frequent landslides, flooding and mudslides that cause dozens of victims each year.

• indonesia
• flood
• dam
• tsunami
• rain
• death