One dead, one missing in Kupang flood

Sat, 02/23/2008 4:44 PM  |  The Archipelago

The deceased has been identified as Alan Haden, 7, and the missing boy as Zakaria Sesama.

An official in the East Nusa Tenggara provincial capital said the search was continuing for Zakaria.

Sentianus Medi, head of the local search and rescue agency, said here Friday that Alan's body was found by his parents on Thursday evening, downstream of their village.

"The search will continue to recover the other victim, presumably also killed in the flood, which also submerged the village," he said.

Alan's father Fransiskus said the two boys were playing near the river after school, and were believed drowned when the river burst its banks following heavy rain in the area.

In Belu, some 700 houses were submerged by rain-triggered flooding on Friday, displacing thousands of residents.

Head of West Malaka subdistrict, Remigius Asa, said no injuries were reported in the flooding, which damaged property and killed hundreds of buffaloes and pigs. --JP

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