Rumors Keep Javanese In Hills

Photos
Tsunami Hits Southern Coast of Java
Six-foot tsunami waves triggered by an underwater earthquake swamped several resorts and village seafronts on the southern coast of the Indonesian island of Java Monday.

Then just before 6 p.m., a 6.2-magnitude quake hit Java's west coast, shaking tall buildings 120 miles away in Jakarta, the capital, and prompting television broadcasters to urge viewers to remain on guard for another tsunami.

"We can't predict how long these people will remain displaced," said Wasdi, a spokesman for Ciamis district's emergency command post.

He said the refugees would not be allowed to remain indefinitely in schools, mosques and other public buildings but would be accommodated in camps. Relief agencies will need mattresses and high-quality tents for them, he said.

In the first 24 hours after the disaster, only a few relief groups reached Pangandaran. But by Wednesday, the sleepy town center was reduced to gridlock with aid trucks, ambulances and army and police vehicles struggling to edge forward.

The main traffic circle was festooned with the brightly colored flags of political parties whose representatives had also arrived to provide aid. Indonesia's most active Islamic party, the Prosperous Justice Party, raised its black-and-gold banners and began distributing relief within hours of the disaster.

Indonesian banks, telephone companies and other businesses erected their own tents and command posts to coordinate charity efforts. A few international agencies, notably Oxfam, had also begun trucking in supplies to the town, located about an eight-hour drive through mountains from Jakarta.

The seafront, which bore the brunt of the destruction, was mostly quiet Wednesday, although several bulldozers, scrapers and front-end loaders had begun clearing the road and beach of debris.

A few people scavenged in the remains of their houses or hotels, hauling out mattresses, chairs and plastic hangers. Meanwhile, teams of soldiers, police and volunteers picked through the rubble of a modest housing complex of bamboo, concrete and thatch searching for two residents who had been reported missing.

Special correspondent Yayu Yuniar contributed to this report.