Tidal Waves Destroy Houses and Shops: Sukabumi, West Java

By Barrie | May 18th, 2007 | No Comments

Hundreds of houses and kiosks were damaged as 5-meter-high tidal waves swept through Pelubuhan Ratu coast in Sukabumi district, West Java, on Friday. The tidal waves also destroyed two bamboo villas and two coast monitoring towers in Cisolok and forced hundreds of people to evacuate to higher grounds, an Antara journalist observed.

Spokesman of the water police task force Dulkafi said the tidal waves began to hit the area at around 06.00 a.m on Friday.

“Signs of tidal waves were already noticeable on Thursday night but sea water began to inundate roads as far as 30 meters from the coastline on Friday morning,” he said.

He said the tidal waves were the biggest to hit the area since 2001.

The material loss caused by the tidal waves was estimated at hundreds of millions of rupiahs.

There was no immediate report of casualties.

The tidal waves affected at least eight coastal subdistricts, namely Surade, Ciemas, Cisolok, Ciracap, Simpenan, Tegal Beuleud, Cikakak and Pelabuhan Ratu.