S. Sulawesi floods destroy 800 houses

JAKARTA (JP): Reports of flooding around the country continued to pour in on Friday, with damage expected to run into billions of rupiah.

At least 800 houses have been inundated since Wednesday and thousands of hectares of crops and shrimp ponds destroyed by flooding in the Polmas regency of South Sulawesi.

The flooding is thought to have caused damage worth at least Rp 10 billion.

Local officials said a number of villages along the Mandar river in Tatallu district had been hit by floods regularly in recent years.

In 1987, floods killed at least 50 residents of Kalumalang and Mombi and destroyed hundreds of houses.

One man died on Wednesday when a bridge on the Mappili river collapsed. The victim was identified as Lahang.

A relief team led by local officials has been dispatched to the area to provide food aid and medical supplies to hundreds of people taking refuge in makeshift shelters.

Traffic between the South Sulawesi capital of Ujungpandang and Polmas and Mamuju has now returned to normal.

However, houses and shops in Wonomulyo district were still in water up to 50 centimeters deep on Friday.

An official from the local public works department, Dimin, said that rubble left in irrigation channels after the construction of the Seka-Seka dam had prevented the flood waters from receding.

Local officials said they had evacuated residents living adjacent to the Mandar and Mappili rivers.

Meanwhile in Cilacap, Central Java, at least 450 houses in Cipari district were inundated after four days of heavy rain.

Locals said the Cikawung river overflowed on Thursday, flooding hundreds of houses and forcing hundreds of people to move to higher ground.

"A number of people have taken refuge in the village hall," Raskat from the Cilacap social services office said.

Officials said that at least 700 hectares of rice fields had been inundated for the past two days.

Three fishermen from Donan village were reported missing after their boat capsized on the river. The missing men were identified as Dulah, 35, Sukir, 40, and Slamet, 45.

Meanwhile, Antara reported on Friday that floods in Lhoksukon, North Aceh, forced thousands of people to flee their homes.

District chief Amiruddin was quoted as saying that around 1,300 families had been evacuated.

He said the Keureuto river overflowed after several days of heavy rain. Local officials have set up makeshift shelters for the residents. No casualties were reported, he added. (30/45/byg)