Tsunami Indonesia

[wowpow]

Thailand was unaffected by a powerful earthquake that sent deadly twometre waves crashing into the Indonesian island of Java on Monday. "There's no impact on Thailand," said Smith Thammasaroj, director of the National Disaster Warning Centre.

Thailand's Meteorological Department reported the 7.2magnitude quake at 3.19pm. An after shock measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale followed nearly an hour later. The quake's epicentre was in Java, where there were reports of deaths, injuries and property damฌage. Arun Kerdsom, Phuket's disaster prevention and mitigation chief, said the quake happened 2,128 kilometres away, and posed no threat to Thailand.

Phuket has 18 (earthquake and tsunami) earlywarning towers in place.

The Nation

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Tsunami hits Java; at least 38 dead

A two-metre-high tsunami crashed into beach resorts and fishing villages on Indonesia's Java island late yesterday, killing at least 38 people. Many more were reported missing but thousands avoided injury by fleeing to higher ground in terror, witnesses and officials said. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre has issued a tsunami warning to Sumatra islands and Australia's Christmas and Cocos islands, while Malaysian officials issued warnings to stay away from northern coastal areas. A tsunami warning was also issued for India's Nicobar Islands, a top local administrator said.

Indonesian agencies issued warnings that a 7.7-undersea quake was strong enough to send a killer wave steaming toward the country worst hit by the 2004 tsunami, but victims did not hear of them in time.

The worst-hit area appeared to be around Pangandaran, an idyllic beach resort long popular with local and foreign tourists, where people shouted "tsunami, tsunami!" and climbed trees or crowded inland mosques as the wave approached, witnesses said. "All the houses are destroyed along the beach," a woman who identified herself only as Teti told el-Shinta radio station. "Small hotels are completely destroyed and at least one restaurant was washed away."

The extent of damage from yesterday's wave further up the coast was not immediately clear, with some roads blocked and power and phone lines cut in some areas.
Rudi Bahro, a local lawmaker, told Metro TV at least 37 people were killed at Pangandaran and "the number is still going up". At least one other person died in Puring Bay, some 100 kilometres to the east, said district chief Rustriningsih, adding that another 19 were missing."

Agencies - The Nation

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More than 100 people are thought to have been killed in a tsunami triggered by an earthquake off the island of Java, the Red Cross in Indonesia says.

BBC News 07.07 18th July 2006

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[wowpow]

"Pangandaran, Indonesia (dpa) - Relief supplies began pouring into southern Java Tuesday as rescue workers continued sifting through shattered buildings, homes and other debris for survivors of an earthquake-triggered tsunami that has killed more than 300.

The Indonesian Red Cross reported that 282 people were confirmed dead from Monday's disaster, but an additional 140 people remained missing. Local reports cited police and rescue officials as saying the death toll had topped 300 and would likely rise by dozens.

Nearly 30,000 people were displaced and were sheltering Tuesday in local mosques, buildings and any other usable structures, few of which had electricity.

The idyllic West Java beach area of Pangandaran remained littered with fishing boats, automobiles, chunks of wood, concrete and other debris from waves as high as four metres that crashed ashore on Monday afternoon along some 200 kilometres of coastline in west and central Java provinces.

People fled in terror screaming "Tsunami, tsunami!" as the water receded into the sea, minutes before the wave struck, said Asep, a 34-year-old food vendor, who fled by motorcycle with his family.

Hundreds of Indonesian army soldiers and volunteer forces joined local residents, including grieving relatives, in frantic search and rescue operations for survivors that continued into Tuesday night.

Several foreigners were believed to be among the dead, including a Swedish expatriate living in Pangandaran and his two sons aged 5 and 10, according to the Swedish Foreign Ministry."

Bangkok Post - more at http://www.bangkokpost.net/breaking_new ... ?id=109731

... this is a story about "Nothing happened in Thailand but a lot happened in Indonesia" and therefore belongs in the Global Forum?