Java residents flee to higher ground

The death toll from the July 17 earthquake-triggered tsunami that slammed into the coast of Java, Indonesia has climbed to at least 549 with rescuers continuing the search for about 275 missing people.

Aid started to arrive in the worst-hit area Pangandaran, although residents in smaller communities complained it was taking too long to reach them.

Aftershocks set off rumors of another tsunami in the resort town, with about 1,000 people fleeing Pangandaran beach on foot, motorbikes or in cars amid frantic shouts of advancing waves, the Jakarta Post reported.

According to the Social Services Ministry of Indonesia, there are at least 75,000 displaced people, including 40,759 in Ciamis regency where Pangandaran is located.

Traumatized residents of Cilacap and Kebumen in Central Java also decided to remain on high ground near their villages due to the threat of aftershocks.

Some of those seeking refuge in the hills were forced to sleep out in the open, the Jakarta Post said.

Displaced people at Mt. Selok said they were receiving food boxes, consisting of rice with eggs and noodles, two or three times a day.

In Cilacap, where varying reports put the death toll from 89 to 122, the regency administration said the fishing and tourism sectors worst affected.

In Kebumen, Regent Rustriningsih said the tsunami killed nine and left 49 others missing.

In West Java, data from the province's disaster mitigation unit put the combined total of fatalities in three towns of Tasikmalaya, Ciamis and Garut at 417.

West Java's branch of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association urged the government to immediately set up a tsunami early warning system to ensure safety in the province's main tourist area.

According to data from the province's tourist office, 63 of 114 hotels along the Pangandaran stretch of coastline were heavily damaged, according to the Jakarta Post. The disaster also damaged 162 restaurants, 165 shops and kiosks and 68 houses, it said.

Photo from www.gulf-times.com