S. Sulawesi floods destroy 800 houses

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)