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Southeast Asia
105 dead in Indonesian tsunami
2006-07-18
A tsunami triggered by a strong undersea earthquake off the coast of Indonesia's Java island on Monday killed at least 105 people, swept away buildings and damaged hundreds of fishing boats, officials and witnesses said. News of the disaster spread panic across a region still recovering from a tsunami less than two years ago in which nearly 230,000 people were killed or reported missing, mostly in Indonesia. But there were no reports of casualties or damage in any other country from Monday's tsunami.

"Our latest data shows 105 people have died while at least 50 are badly injured. The number can climb because many may have been swept away by the waves," Fitri Sidikah, an official at the Indonesian Red Cross disaster centre, told Reuters. "Around 650 fishing boats are damaged," she said. Waves up to five feet high crashed into Pangandaran beach near the town of Ciamis, 270 km southeast of Jakarta, killing 37 people, a local official said.
Posted by:Fred

#11  And yes, #9, you have a good memory.

These are the SAME PEOPLE who laughed and partied when 9/11 happened.

These are the SAME PEOPLE who burned down embassies and protested in the Great Danish Cartoon Caper

These are the SAME PEOPLE who were out protesting Israel retaliating against Hizballah not three days ago.

With all the help in the world after 2004 tsunami they are still friggin around too much to help themselves.

So boo freakin hoo, I'm not donating to 'save the javanese' tsunami relief funds this time!
Posted by: Anon1   2006-07-18 22:04  

#10  Death toll now 350.

Question: Why, with a billion dollars aid JUST FROM AUSTRALIA after the first Tsunami, with a western-funded international tsunami warning system up and running and sitting on a seismically active area, why why why weren't hte people warned?

Could it be the Javanese are as corrupt as they are Islamist?

Could it be they divide their time between praying to Allan (who punishes them regularly with volcanoes, tsunamis, earthquakes and floods) and paying off their family members and promoting incompetents to positions of power with bribes?

Could it be all that western aid money went to help Javanese Indonesian elites keep their hands on power? Perhaps it went towards the brand new fleet of war planes they are buying.

Certainly none of it went to help the peasants, did it?
Posted by: Anon1   2006-07-18 22:00  

#9  boo ho arent't these the same ppl who hate us even after we help their pathetic asses. too bad it don't get the whole fuckin island
Posted by: Thromort Glomoger4987   2006-07-18 18:55  

#8  I blame Cthulhu
Posted by: Frank G   2006-07-18 14:05  

#7  Allan stays "pissed." It keeps him from having to GET pissed.
Posted by: Besoeker   2006-07-18 13:46  

#6  Actually, Sea, I believe Allen's still pissed!
Posted by: BA   2006-07-18 09:58  

#5  I blame Bush.
Posted by: Seafarious   2006-07-18 09:31  

#4  Officials failed to issue tsunami warning

Officials in the Indonesian capital Jakarta failed to issue a tsunami warning despite receiving data about yesterday's earthquake 20 minutes before the first wave struck the island of Java, the Guardian has learned. The death toll rose to 327 today as rescue teams combed the devastated coastal communities. At least 160 people are missing. One official said they were too busy monitoring the aftershocks of the 7.7-magnitude quake that triggered the tsunami to raise the alarm.

Aerial television footage showed that virtually all wooden buildings, which make up the majority of the beachfront homes and hotels, were swept away, with about half the brick structures. Many of those that remained will have to be destroyed due to the severity of the damage. Buildings up to half a mile inland were damaged.

The Pacific Ocean tsunami warning centre in Hawaii issued a warning about 20 minutes after the main earthquake and 25 minutes before the first wave surged ashore. It was acted upon by people living in Australia's Christmas Island, 140 miles south of the epicentre.

Indonesia's one sensor in the area, near Cilacap, detected the earthquake and sent a report "in real time" to the Meteorological and Geophysical Agency in Jakarta, an official there, Sugun, said. "It was detected about 18 minutes after the earthquake but we were so busy monitoring all the aftershocks."

When asked if that was why they did not issue a tsunami warning to the coastal communities near Cilacap, Sugun said: "I guess it was something like that."
Posted by: Steve   2006-07-18 09:27  

#3  If you are standing on the beach admiring the ocean view and said ocean starts to recede, like a low tide that just keeps going out and out and out, turn your ass around 180 and head for high ground.

If you live by an ocean, you should know this. Particularly after the 2004 experience. Try teaching this in school. Try posting "Watch for signs of tsumani" warnings along beaches and coast roads, stores, etc.

But do not stand on the beach, admiring the view, scratching your ass, thinking "Whoa dude, cool! Where'd the ocean go? Oh look, is that a tuna?"
Posted by: Thinemp Whimble2412   2006-07-18 08:56  

#2  Indonesia seems like a rather dangerous place to live, what with volcanos, earthquakes, tsunamis, Islamist terrorists, tropical diseases, .... In comparison even New Orleans looks safe.
Posted by: glenmore   2006-07-18 07:48  

#1  Update: Rooters sez toll at 231 confirmed dead.

No doubt this number will rise.
Posted by: flyover   2006-07-18 03:01  

00:00