`Diarrhea' kills seven, sparks panic in Banyumas

BANYUMAS: Seven people, some elderly, in Banyumas regency, Central Java, have died in the past week from suspected diarrhea, sparking a panic among local villagers.

Three of the seven - all residents of Pamijen village - died Friday after displaying similar symptoms.

Eight other local villagers are currently being treated at Margono Soekarjo Hospital in neighboring Purwokerto regency, complaining of similar symptoms.

A preliminary observation by a medical team from Sokaraja Community Health Center (Puskesmas) showed all the seven patients had died from diarrhea.

"But we are still carrying out post-mortems to clarify this," team member Dr. Tri said in Pamijen.

The spread of diarrhea and the deaths caused a panic among local residents, who demanded local health agencies to prevent further deaths.

Karsim, a 43-year-old villager, said the seven had included children and elderly residents.

"We don't know what was behind all this. We have asked the health agency to do something about it immediately so we can remain calm," he said. -JP