Houses flooded after dam bursts

SAMARINDA, East Kalimantan: The Benanga dam, some 20 km north of here, burst yesterday following one week of heavy rains, Antara said.

Residents fled to safer areas after thousands of houses were inundated, but no casualties were reported. Thousands of hectares of fields were also flooded.

Samarinda, a city of 400,000 people, has been put on alert for floods if the rains cause the Mahakam River to burst its banks.