A powerful undersea earthquake struck off the southern coast of Java, Indonesia on 17 July 2006, triggering a tsunami that killed at least 37 people and injured scores more. The heaviest damage fell on the Pangandaran coast in West Java province, where waves reaching three meters swept through beachfront hotels and residential neighborhoods.
The Indonesian Red Cross reported roughly 40 people missing across three West Java coastal districts, with a further 40 workers unaccounted for after the waves struck a dam under construction. Three ambulances and 15 Red Cross volunteers were sent to the affected areas. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono urged residents to leave coastal zones, saying military and rescue teams had already been dispatched.
Witnesses described a sudden surge that sent people running for higher ground. Waterfront hotels at Pangandaran sustained heavy damage, with boats thrown into buildings. Unconfirmed reports indicated at least five additional deaths along the Central Java coast.
The earthquake hit at 3:19 p.m. local time and was felt as far away as the capital, Jakarta. An aftershock of 5.3 on the Richter scale followed roughly an hour later, with at least five additional tremors recorded. Thousands of displaced residents took shelter in mosques and other inland structures.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in July 2006, in its own words.