The Jakarta Post, 7/24/2007 1:14:32 PM
52 feared killed in floods, landslides in central Indonesia
JAKARTA (AP): Rescuers struggled to get emergency aid to regions cut off by floods
and landslides in central Indonesia on Tuesday as the number of people feared dead
rose to more than 50, a senior health official said.
Rustam Pakaya, head of the Health Ministry's crisis center, said local officials
reported that seven bodies had been recovered, but at least 45 remained buried after
landslides overwhelmed hundreds of houses on Sulawesi island on Sunday.
"We believe they have been killed," Pakaya said.
He said roads blocked by floods were preventing officials from distributing rice, instant
noodles, blankets, medicine and other emergency supplies to some 16,000 forced
from their homes.
Seasonal downpours cause dozens of landslides and flash floods each year in
Indonesia, where millions of people live in mountainous regions and near fertile flood
plains close to rivers.
Some environmentalists and government officials blame global warming and rampant
deforestation for the disasters, which they contend loosens soils on mountainsides.
Last year, more than 200 people died on Sulawesi island alone due to flooding. (***)
All contents copyright © of The Jakarta Post.
|
