Rain storms hit Bali

DENPASAR: An eight hour rainstorm swept through Bali's western district of Jembrana on Monday, severely damaging scores of houses and uprooting countless trees.

Ida Bagus Prayoga, spokesman for the Jembrana administration, said no injuries had been reported but that material losses had "definitely been large".

Worst hit was the Kota Nagara housing complex, where dozens of houses were severely damaged. Asbestos roofs were torn from buildings and trees uprooted or had branches broken.

People were too scared to go out as power was cut, crippling 400 homes Monday night, Antara reported.

Fishermen did not dare go to sea for fear of tidal waves, Prayoga said, adding the disaster had not affected sea transport between Java and Bali. (pan)