Ten dead and seven injured in Central Java floods

PURWOKERTO, Central Java (JP): At least 10 people died and seven other were injured in rainstorms and floods in Central Java over the past few days, officials said yesterday.

The worst hit regencies are Banyumas, Cilacap, Kebumen and the capital city Semarang, where heavy rains have been falling since Friday.

In Banyumas, Cilacap and Kebumen, floods have inundated more than 150 villages, forcing thousands of families to evacuate to safer ground.

Yesterday, heavy rains in Banyumas forced several hundred people to flee their flooded homes just hours after they had returned from temporary accommodation.

Officials handling the crisis said four people died in Banyumas, two in Kebumen, one in Cilacap and three in Semarang.

Last night the water was showing no sign of receding as heavy rains continued in Banyumas, Kebumen and Cilacap.

In Banyumas, local officials said an estimated 4,000 hectares of paddy had been destroyed and about the same area of ready-for- harvesting soybeans. More than 1,000 houses were flooded and 5,000 people evacuated.

"We have started a public kitchen and dropped in medical supplies. There is no reason to worry about food shortages or health problems," Banyumas regent Djoko Sudantoko said.

He said floods in Banyumas have caused losses of about Rp 700 million (US$297,000).

In Cilacap, thousands of houses were flooded by more than a meter and a half of water. Many people were seen using rafts to salvage their belongings.

Residents said prices have soared since the heavy rain first hit the southern coastal town Thursday. Transportation has been disrupted as many roads are impassable.

In Kebumen, people staying in temporary shelters in stricken areas have complained of skin rashes and respiratory problems.

In Semarang, three people were killed and seven others injured in southern suburbs.

On Jl. Sinabung, a 12-meter-long brick wall at a factory collapsed, crushing to death two people in an adjoining house. Also in the same area, a landslide buried alive a 16-year-old boy and injured a family of seven.

Semarang Mayor Soetrisno Soeharto told The Jakarta Post yesterday that the government is collecting data on the losses.

"The government also wants to give financial help to the hospitalized victims," he said. (wah/har/pan)