Two missing in flood

PURBALINGGA, Central Java: Two people, Mahyuni, 20, and Mihardji, 60, are feared to have died after being drowned in the troubled Gintung River on Sunday.

A number of rivers across the province burst their banks after persistent rainfall since Saturday. The floods inundated thousands of houses in Purbalingga, Kudus and Pekalongan, forcing hundreds of people to seek refuge.

A spokesman for the Purbalingga administration, Sukarno, said on Monday the two flood victims might have been killed by rocks which were scattered along the river.

Witnesses said both Mahyuni and Mihardji were passing a bridge over the river when the flood overwhelmed them. The two screamed for help, but nobody was able to rescue them.

The search for the victims' bodies continued on Monday, according to Sukarno.

In Pekalongan, the floods affected seven villages and left some 3,000 families displaced. Spokesman for the regency's administration Suharto said no fatalities resulted from the floods. (45/har)