Floods Kill Four in Bojonegoro, Gresik

Jakarta (Antara) - Floods hit the East Java cities of Bojonegoro and Gresik when the Bengawan Solo and Lamong Rivers overflowed, thus killing four. Two victims were swept away by the flood currents in Bojonegoro, and two others in Gresik, Sutopo, stated a spokesman from the National Disaster Mitigation Agency here, on Wednesday. The floods, triggered by the overflowing of Bengawan Solo River, submerged 4,085 houses located in 63 villages in 15 sub-districts within the three districts of Bojonegoro, Tuban, and Lamongan. In Bojonegoro, 40 villages in seven sub-districts were flooded, submerging 1,771 houses and 1,727 hectares of rice fields. Around 3,500 people have moved to higher grounds including public buildings. At least 823 houses and 250 hectares of rice fields are inundated in the worst flood-affected sub-district, Padangan. In Tuban District, 2,214 houses in 13 villages in four sub-districts are flooded. In Lamongan, floods have hit Babat, Laren, Maduran and Gelagah Sub-districts. Meanwhile, the swollen Lamong River has inundated several sub-districts in Mojokerto and Gresik Districts. At least 7,957 houses and hundreds of hectares of rice fields in 42 villages in Gresik are submerged by the floods.(*) (f001/INE)