Flood victims under threat of illness

MATARAM, West Nusa Tenggara: Dozens of villagers in Central Lombok were facing an outbreak of diarrhea following the inundation of several areas in the small town due to a poor drainage system.

The spokesman for the local administration, Suardi, said tons of garbage had been abandoned in the town and this could trigger an epidemic of diarrhea or dengue fever to the local people.

"All ground water in the town has been contaminated," he said here on Monday.

He added that hundreds of people had been relocated to a junior high school in the town since their homes were inundated by incessant rain which began last Saturday.

He said the flood was probably the worst he had seen in ten years.

He also called on residents not to dump their waste in the environment because it also contributed to the flooding. --Antara