Van plunges into ravine, five die

PADANG, West Sumatra: At least five people died and 16 others were injured after the van they were riding in plunged into a deep ravine on Pulau Batangkapas hill, Pesisir Selatan district in West Sumatra, on Wednesday.

The accident occurred when the brakes failed and the driver, identified as Pino, lost control of the van, Pesisir Selatan Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Bambang Hermanto said on Thursday.

The van plunged into a 250-meter deep ravine.

The dead were identified as Gusniwita, 38, Irdam, 45, Mai, 35, Ermaini, 40, and Syamsinar, 46.

The injured include Afnida Suryani, Neni Salmi, Lili Lidia and Era Gusneva.

The victims were rescued by policemen and local residents, Bambang said. -- Antara

;JP;MUN; ANPAa..r.. ~Across-crash-bus Diarrhea patients up in Palu JP/5/ACROSS

Diarrhea patients up in Palu

PALU, Central Sulawesi: The number of people afflicted with diarrhea is increasing in Palu, the capital of Central Sulawesi, with 50 patients admitted to several local hospitals this week.

Most of the patients are babies and children. They were admitted to intensive care units to prevent dehydration.

The deputy director of Undata General Hospital, Dr. Riry Lamadjido, said the number of diarrhea patients had increased from last week.

Riry said most of the patients had diarrhea due to the consumption of unhygienic food or beverages, climatic change or unhygienic living conditions.

The health agency head in Palu, Dr. Abdullah, said he was unaware of the increase in diarrhea patients in the city. He said hospitals and public health centers had yet to inform him of the matter. -- Antara

;JP;MUN; ANPAa..r.. Across-refugees-ambon North Maluku refugees to be sent home JP/5/ACROSS

North Maluku refugees to be sent home

AMBON, Maluku: The Maluku civilian emergency administration is set to repatriate 5,140 people currently taking refuge in Ambon to their homes in North Maluku.

"We will send thousands of refugees home soon," said Rachman Soumena, who heads the refugee center in Ambon, on Thursday.

Soumena said sending the refugees home would help lower the population in Ambon.

"Infrastructure in Ambon can no longer support the extra people. Therefore the refugees must be sent back to their hometowns. They may join the transmigration program, if necessary," he said.

Ambon Mayor MJ Papilaja sent him a letter requesting that he not allow refugees from outside Ambon to live in the city, Soumena said.

The administration recorded 332,548 refugees in Ambon following sectarian unrest in several areas in the province a number of years ago. -- Antara