Central Java floods and landslide kill five

Central Java floods and landslide kill five

JAKARTA (JP): Five people have died in floods in Banyumas,
following another accident that saw a whole family killed in a
landslide on Sunday.

The latest victim was a woman found in the Cirongkang river in
Banyumas district on Monday afternoon, Antara reported Tuesday.

Sources said Risol, 30, died after a strong current swept her
away when she and her husband Surin were crossing a bridge.

An entire family of four was also killed in Duren village of
Bawang district, Banjarnegara regency. They were Mujirno, 34 and
his wife Royhati, 24, and their two children Iwan, 6, and Evi, 2.
Their home was hit by a landslide early Sunday and the bodies
could only be recovered in the afternoon.

Banyumas regent Aris Setiono said the floods were caused by
the overflowing of the Klawing river passing Purbalingga,
Banyumas and Kebumen. Thousands of residents took refuge and were
provided with meals by the local administrations, while thousands
of hectares of crops were flooded.

In Lamongan village, the medical center was also inundated and
medical supplies were swept away by the flood waters.

In Jakarta, the ministry of public works said it was
allocating up to Rp 15 billion in emergency funds in the wake of
the floods, the agency reported.

The funds were part of a Rp 400 billion budget for floods, the
director general of water works Budiman Arif said.

Minister of Public Works Rachmadi Bambang Sumadhijo said here
Tuesday that the ministry was fixing roads in strategic areas,
and expected to finish the job before Idul Fitri.

He said his office will soon define flood prone areas for the
public and give maps to motorists passing toll gates.

"The information will include alternative roads," Rachmadi
said.

From Semarang, the agency reported that traffic on the road
linking Purwodadi and Semarang was disrupted as at least 35
meters of road surface had subsided by one meter.

Traffic from Semarang was rerouted on to back roads. Governor
Mardianto said the repair of the road would be a priority as it
was a main route. (45/anr)