JAKARTA, Oct 27, 2008 (Xinhua via COMTEX News Network) -- At least 11,000 people have fled home as the floods continues in Gorontalo province in eastern parts of Indonesia, Indonesian health ministry said here Monday.
Head of crisis center of the ministry Rustam Pakaya said that the rain on Monday deteriorated the flood situation in Gorontalo city, the capital of the province. "Now the number of people taking shelters climbs to 11,335 as the waters continuously submerge the city," Pakaya told Xinhua.
The flood paralyzed economic and other daily activities in the city, said Pakaya. "Most of office buildings, markets and other buildings were still submerged by waters with the height of up to two meters in some areas," he said.
Metro television footage showed that people were evacuating equipment in office buildings and houses.
Over 60 medical persons have been deployed to help the internally displaced persons since Saturday, said Pakaya.
Days of heavy rain had caused two rivers in Gorontalo city over- flow, which submerged the city since Saturday, provincial secretary Nurdin Mokoginta said.
The secretary said that some relief aid had reached to the survivors, admitting that more blankets and logistics were still needed.