Premier Zhu Offers Condolences to Flood-Hit Indonesian People

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, February 06, 2002

Premier Zhu Offers Condolences to Flood-Hit Indonesian People

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Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji on Tuesday expressed deep sympathy and sincere condolences to Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri whose country has been hit by severe flooding caused by heavy rains.

In his message, Zhu also expressed belief that the Indonesian people, under the leadership of Megawati and the Indonesian government, will overcome the difficulties brought about by the floods and rebuild their homes.

For the past week, massive flooding, caused by torrential rains,has swept over the Indonesian capital of Jakarta and other parts of the country, killing at least 35 people and forcing thousands to evacuate their homes.

Incessant rain had been pouring for over one week in Jakarta, causing massive floods in many parts of the city, the worst to hit Jakarta for decades.

35 Killed in Floods in East Java

At least 35 persons were killedand 12 others missing in floods and mud flows that came following heavy rains in East Java province, Indonesia, on Tuesday, according to the Detikcom online news service Wednesday.

On Monday night, at least 18 persons were killed in the flooding caused by heavy rains, which also swamped hundreds of houses in Situbondo, about 210 kilometers east of the provincial capital of Surabaya.

In Bondowoso, 50 kilometers south of Situbondo, 17 persons died in the floods.

The floods and mud flows cut the road connecting Situbondo andBondowoso. Flooding also damaged the Kali Sampean embankment, submerging roads leading to the resort island of Bali at a depth of more than one meter.

It was reported that flooding also hit at least five villages in the neighboring town of Jember, where the water level reached aheight of one to two meters after the Rambipuji river burst its banks.

In Bali, the death toll from landslides and floods rose to 13 on Tuesday.

Java Island is currently entering its rainy season. The Meteorology Agency has forecast more rain until the end of the wetseason in February.

18,000 Residents Suffer Diarrhea in Jakarta

Some 18,000 Jakartans are suffering from diarrhea following the flood attacks in the capital since last Tuesday.

The Jakarta office of the Ministry of Health has put the number of evacuees throughout the capital at 301,000 and some of them are suffering from upper respiratory tract infection, influenza, diarrhea, cough and skin diseases.

"The flood victims have been rushed to 100 hospitals in the city for free medical treatment. All medical expenses will be borne by the government and will be paid in two to three months' time," Health Minister A. Chalik Masulili was quoted by the Antara News Agency Tuesday as saying.

The minister denied the accusations that his office had provided expired drugs to the flood evacuees.

He said his office had allocated 13 billion rupiah (1.3 million U.S. dollars) for the purchase of drugs for the flood victims in Jakarta.

Meanwhile, State Minister of National Development Planning Kwik Kian Gie said that the government will need 15 trillion rupiah (1.5 billion U.S. dollars) to solve the problem of flooding in Jakarta and several areas around the capital city.

He said the money would be used to construct infrastructure to be completed in 10 years in anticipation of floods in Jakarta, Bogor, Tangerang and Bekasi.

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Floods and Landslides Kill 60 in Indonesia