Philippine Embassy, jakarta reports no filipinos hurt in indonesia quake, tsunami  

18 July 2006 — Chargé d’ Affaires, a. i. (CDA) Catalino R. Dilem of the Philippine Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that no Filipinos have been reported hurt in the earthquake and subsequent tsunami that struck Indonesia’s main island of Java on 17 July 2006 at around 3:30 p.m. (local time). 

CDA Dilem said that based on the data of the Jakarta Meteorolgical and Geophysics Office (BMG), the quake’s magnitude was 6.8 on the Richter scale, with the epicenter beneath the Indian Ocean around 33 km south of Java.  The tremor was felt in the provinces of West Java, Central Java, Yogyakarta and Jakarta. 

CDA Dilem added that the strong quake triggered a tsunami that was reportedly several meters high, sweeping southern coastal areas in Java, specifically many seaside communities.  He stated that news reports have placed the toll at 80 lives lost and a number still missing or injured. 

Immediately after receiving reports about the quake and the tsunami, the Embassy communicated with members of the Filipino community in Bandung, provincial capital of West Java and, at 620 km, the nearest major Indonesian city from the quake’s epicenter.  CDA Dilem said that as of 8:00 a.m. on 18 July, there has been no report of Filipino casualties. 

The CDA assured the Department that the Embassy will continue monitoring the situation in West Java, and report on any new developments.  END

/jay

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