Housewives hijack water tanker

SAMARINDA, East Kalimantan (JP): Three housewives in the drought-stricken district of Samarinda Seberang, desperate for clean water, climbed onto a water tanker and threatened to remain there until their houses were supplied with water.

Antara said Mayor Lukman Said confirmed the "hijacking" of the tanker. He also said that Samarinda had been hit by such a severe water shortage that residents were panicking.

The tanker belonged to the local government-run water company PDAM which had, for the past four days, stopped processing and supplying water after sea water intrusion into Mahakam River, which is its supply source.

The news agency reported that several water tankers, each with a capacity of 3,000 liters, had been sent out to distribute free water in the district.

But the three women still climbed onto one of the trucks and demanded its driver go to their houses.

The city, with a population of 400,000, was hit recently by an outbreak of diarrhea affecting 4,000 people. Thirty people died in the outbreak. (swe)