Three killed in last week's floods

Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Last week's flooding claimed three lives, with one person still missing, while hundreds of people suffered illnesses and received treatment at flood health posts across the city.

The city flood center reported on Monday that a 10-year-old boy, identified as Andi, who slipped and plunged into the Cakung River in North Jakarta last Thursday, had not yet been found.

Meanwhile, the three deceased were identified as Riky, 16, from Kalideres; Maman, 21, from Rawa Buaya, and Syafei, 23, from Kebon Jeruk, West Jakarta.

Riky drowned in a pond near his house, Maman plunged into the Mokervaart River, while Sjafei died in a lake in Srengseng, West Jakarta.

Head of the emergency division of the City Health Agency Henni S. Purwonegoro revealed that about 480 people had visited the city's health posts in flood-prone areas for medical treatment.

"They came to our health posts, which were set up after last week's floods. But none had suffered serious illness or needed to be treated in the hospital," Henni said.

She said most of the people suffered from a combination of respiratory infections, skin diseases, diarrhea or eye infections.

Last year's massive floods, which hit the city in February, claimed 34 lives and displaced some 380,000 people.

Besides drowning in rivers, some of the 34 victims died from a variety of diseases.

In a related development, the city administration symbolically handed over a grant of Rp 30 billion (US$3.3 million) to the city chapter of the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) on Monday.

"We hope that the grant can help PMI in its efforts to help people during disasters, including the flooding," Deputy Governor Fauzi Bowo said at the Central Jakarta PMI office.

The money, taken from the 2003 city budget, would be used to purchase 5 blood transfusion vehicles, 10 ambulances, 150 tents for field hospitals, 10 rubber dinghies and six vehicles for use as communal kitchens.

Rumors were rife that the supplies for PMI had been provided by a company that had a close link to a number of city councillors of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle.

The councillors strongly suggested the administration donate the money for PMI during the meetings before the budget was approved by the city council on Jan. 31.