An aftershock in Indonesia's tsunami-ravaged region and a new tremor off the south-western Java coast sowed fear on Wednesday as the toll from Monday's disaster climbed to 550.
Rescuers pulled bodies from the debris and aid trickled into worst-hit Pangandaran town while a search continued for about 275 people still missing after the tsunami smashed into a 300-km (185 mile) stretch of coast along southern Java.
A light aftershock that shook Pangandaran beach sent some people running, while others headed inland on motorcycles and cars as rumours circulated of a fresh tsunami.
Hours later, tall buildings swayed as an earthquake struck the Indonesian capital Jakarta and nearby parts of Java island, prompting people in several areas to flee from high-rise offices and homes.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. The quake's strength was 6.2 at its epicentre at the Indian Ocean end of the Sunda Strait off the south-western tip of Java, said Fauzi, an official at the national earthquake centre.
Wednesday's quake was felt in many areas of western Java, but the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said it posed no risk of a tsunami. The authoritative United States Geological Survey put the magnitude at 6.0 on its Web site.
Indonesian media questioned why there was no warning ahead of Monday's killer waves despite regional efforts to set up early alert systems after the massive Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004. The Jakarta Post said in an editorial the disaster agency had done "nothing of note to increase people's preparedness for disasters".
Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla told reporters the government would build an early warning system in Java and other areas in Indonesia in three years.
Along the coastline, heavy equipment was deployed to help in the search for bodies left under the rubble when the waves rolled in after a 7.7-magnitude undersea earthquake. Five bodies were found on beaches in the Pangandaran area alone early on Wednesday, Red Cross official Mehmet Selamat said.
Comments
Comments are closed.