Huge waves continue to pound coasts

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Sun, 05/20/2007 8:02 AM

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Padang

Residents across the southern coastline of Java, Sumatra and Bali were cleaning out debris from their damaged homes, food stalls and fishing boats Saturday -- knowing too well they would face more tidal waves Sunday.

The phenomenal and unexpected tidal waves have since Thursday kept fishermen on shore and forced thousands of people to abandon their wave-smashed houses.

At least 4,000 residents in West Aceh district, Meulaboh regency, Aceh, have been forced to abandon their homes.

West Aceh district spokesman, Mursalin, said Saturday the residents started to flee their homes Thursday when the waves began pounding the shore.

The waves on Saturday also flooded hundreds of houses and hectares of ponds along Pasuruan coastline in East Java.

At Samas beach in Bantul, Yogyakarta, residents worked together to save belongings and clear out debris.

""What can we do? This is purely caused by nature, there's nothing we can do,"" said Joko Setyono, gathering pieces of his collapsed food stall.

Bantul Regent Idham Samawi said the administration would not provide financial assistance to residents whose buildings in the southern coastal areas were destroyed by the waves.

""The regency administration will not provide any assistance because the damaged buildings were violating regulations,"" Idham said.

""Those buildings were built less than 100 meters from coastlines.""

He said the administration had earlier planned to get rid of shacks and food stalls at Parangtritis beach and has warned residents not to rebuild anything along the beach.

Idham said they would however help fishermen whose boats were damaged by the waves and they would replace any nets that had been swept away.

The massive waves were still hitting Baron beach in Gunungkidul regency, Yogyakarta, on Saturday.

Baron beach's search and rescue coordinator, Ngatno, said waves three- and four-meters-high had struck the beach every five minutes.

""The waves reached some 25 meters inland,"" he said.

In West Java, Governor Danny Setiawan has instructed his regents and mayors to prepare for the impact of the waves.

""I've asked regents in the affected areas to stay focused.

""Although the waves are different to the tsunami, the impact might be the same,"" Danny told Antara on Saturday.

Four regencies in the south of West Java were pounded by the massive waves, which struck Pelabuhan Ratu beach in Sukabumi regency; Rancabuaya and Santolo in Garut regency; Cipatujah in Tasikmalaya regency and several beaches in South Ciamis.

Danny has also requested the meteorology and geophysics agency update their weather information but said no recommendation was made to prevent fishermen from going to sea.

In Sukabumi, 71 houses and 20 boats were damaged by the waves.

In Pelabuhan Ratu, 156 families were evacuated to safer ground.

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