Tidal waves kill eight in Central Sulawesi<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The tidal waves that struck several villages
\nalong the western coast of Central Sulawesi on Monday left eight
\npeople dead, Antara reported yesterday.<\/p>\n
All eight were residents of Tonggolobibi village in the
\nDonggala regency, the news agency said, quoting officials in
\nPalu, capital of the province. A woman has been reported missing,
\nit added.<\/p>\n
Tidal waves, some reported as high as five meters, hit the
\nDonggala and Tolitoli regencies in the province on Monday
\nimmediately after a powerful earthquake struck the area. The
\ntremor, with an epicenter in the Makassar Strait, measured seven
\non the Richter scale.<\/p>\n
Tides remained high in the area, covering the Lingayan, a tiny
\nislet across Bangkir village, and inundating 85 houses. Some 500
\npeople have had to be evacuated to safer ground.<\/p>\n
The quake combined with the tidal waves also destroyed more
\nthan 400 houses and scores of government buildings in the
\nTolitoli regency.<\/p>\n
A company from the 713rd Battalion based in Gorontalo, North
\nSulawesi, has been sent to help with relief and rebuilding
\noperations.<\/p>\n
Relief supplies have began to trickle in have been hampered
\nbecause the road from Palu to the affected areas is virtually
\nimpassable. The authorities have ruled out transporting them by
\nboat because of the rough seas.<\/p>\n
In Sumatra, the road linking Aceh and North Sumatra was
\nreopened yesterday, Antara reported. It has been closed since
\nFriday due to floods that inundated the highway and destroyed a
\nnumber of bridges.<\/p>\n
The flash floods in Aceh, said to be the worst in 50 years,
\nleft 16 people dead and forced thousands of people to flee their
\nhomes.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of intercity buses, trucks and sedans were stranded
\nin Kualasimpang, a town on the Aceh-North Sumatra border, for the
\npast five days as they waited for the water to recede. They were
\ncleared by yesterday afternoon. (emb)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/tidal-waves-kill-eight-in-central-sulawesi-1447893297",
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