Diarrhea kills eight people

KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara: At least eight people have died and 70 others were treated at local community health centers after a diarrhea outbreak in South Central Timor regency, an official said on Saturday.

Hundreds more have been evacuated since the outbreak, which followed flooding, hit the subdistrict early this month.

The head of disease prevention and eradication at the regency health office, Bartholomeus Liufet, said three remote villages of Tioneke, Tuafanu and Kiufatu were most heavily affected.

Two of the fatalities were aged under 12 years, and the rest from 15 to 85.

"Wells and toilets in those areas have been badly contaminated, but residents find it difficult to change their habit of drinking unboiled water," Liufet said.

He said medical workers were late in assisting the victims because of the villages' distance of 80 kilometers from the regency capital of Soe.

Regent Wilem Nope visited the villages on Thursday and sent a medical assistance team. He also ordered the local health office to provide clean water for the residents. (yac)