Photo credit: Sijori Images / Barcroft Media via Getty Images

The death toll from floods in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta has risen to 43 on Friday as rescuers discovered more bodies amid receding floodwaters.

Disaster officials say monsoon rains and rising rivers submerged at least 182 neighbourhoods in greater Jakarta and caused landslides in the Bogor and Depok districts as well as in neighbouring Lebak.

National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman, Agus Wibowo said the fatalities in Indonesia’s worst flash flooding in years also included those who had drowned or been electrocuted since rivers broke their banks Wednesday after extreme torrential rains.

Wibowo said about 397,000 people sought refuge in shelters across the greater metropolitan area as at their peak floodwaters reached as high as 6 metres in some places.

Those returning to their homes found streets covered in mud and debris. Cars that had been parked in driveways were swept away, landing upside down in parks or piled up in narrow alleys.

This is even as sidewalks were strewn with sandals, pots and pans and old photographs. Authorities took advantage of the receding waters to clear away mud and remove piles of wet garbage from the streets.

The country’s head of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency, Dwikorita Karnawati said more downpours were forecast for the capital in coming days and the potential for extreme rainfall will continue until next month across Indonesia.

The government on Friday kicked off cloud seeding in an attempt to divert rain clouds from reaching greater Jakarta. Authorities warned that more flooding was possible until the rainy season ends in April.

Jakarta, home to 10 million people is also prone to earthquakes  and is rapidly sinking due to uncontrolled extraction of ground water. Congestion is also estimated to cost the economy $6.5 billion a year.

President Joko Widodo had in August announced that the capital will move to a site in the sparsely populated East Kalimantan province on Borneo Island.