9 more dead from diarrhea in Agusan

BUTUAN CITY — Nine more lumads from Barangay Binicalan in San Luis, Agusan del Sur died of diarrhea, bringing the death toll to 21, Mayor Jose Chua said yesterday.

Dozens of residents in Binicalan have been stricken with diarrhea since September, raising suspicion that the illness was caused by contaminated water.

The victims came from areas where there are no clean sources of potable water.

Health authorities have declared an outbreak as the disease continued to affect more residents.

Chua said a team from the municipal health office, led by municipal health officer Dr. Alladin Plaza, was sent to Binicalan anew to monitor the disease.

Citing reports he received from health workers who went to Barangay Binicalan, Chua said those who died as of Nov. 18 were residents who returned home to their sitios and continued to drink water fetched from springs.

Chua said they were seeking more financial assistance from the provincial government as the P500,000, which was drawn from the local health fund, have been used up. — Ben Serrano