Krakatau Steel Extends Aid to Lebak Flood Victims

Lebak, Banten - State steel maker PT Krakatau Steel has extended relief aid to victims of floods and landslides in Lebak district, Banten province, to help alleviate their financial burdens, a spokesman said. "The aid comes in the form of basic necessaries," Head of the Lebak District Natural Disaster Mitigation Board (BPBD) Muklis said on Sunday. He said the aid was handed to the BPBD to be distributed among flood and landslide victims in the district. The flood and landslide victims are found in 86 villages in 23 subdistricts, he said. "We have distributed the aid to the flood and landslide victims through heads of neighborhood associations," he said. Five people were killed in floods and landslides that hit Lebak district in the past five days. Four of the five victims were swept away by flood water and another was buried in a landslide, Muklis said. He said one person was still missing by Sunday. "We, along with volunteers are searching for Saad who is believed to have been swept away by flood water," he said. He said the floods also inundated a total of 7,450 houses, and destroyed 280 roads and bridges. "I think the number of houses destroyed by landslides may increase as we are waiting for reports in the field," he said. (*)