Jan-Feb 2010 sees 100 small disasters: Minister

JAKARTA: Small-scale disasters such as floods and landslides resulted in the deaths of 126 people and displaced 35,965 others between January and February, Coordinating Public’s Welfare Minister Agung Laksono said Thursday.
Agung said Indonesia had been struck by 118 small-scale disasters in the first two months of this year, which meant an average of two a day during the period.
“Flooding was the most frequent type of disaster to occur, with 45 incidences,” Agung said  
The second most frequent disaster was landslides, with 32 occurrences, followed by storms and typhoons. Among provinces hit by these disasters were Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, East Java, West Java, Riau and Southeast Sulawesi.
The ministry has recently disbursed around Rp 1 billion to landslide- and flood-hit regions, including Pasuruan, Wonosobo, North Kolaka, Sumedang and Bandung. — JP