Tidal waves reaching up to three meters high, hit 183 houses and forced more than 1,000 people to flee over the past three days in Sasak Ranah coastal area, West Pasaman district, West Sumatra Province. "At least 183 houses, mostly belonging to fishermen, were damaged in the Sasak Ranah coast as the houses kept on being hit by tidal waves from Thursday up to now (Saturday). The waves even tend to get bigger," ANTARA quoted West Pasaman administration`s spokesman Edi Busti, as saying here today. Of the total 183 houses, 42 of them were completely destroyed, 71 were seriously damaged and 70 others were slightly damaged, he said. There were no reports on casualties so far, and the refugees staying in emergency tents, have received relief aid such as instant noodle, rice and cash amounting to Rp10 million in total. Tidal waves were also reported of hitting 494 houses in South Nagari Tiku and Tiku Lima Jorong, Tanjung Mutiara subdistrict, Agam District, also West Sumatra Province. In Padang city, the province`s capital, tidal waves damaged 252 houses located in Padang beach, Perupuk coast and Pasie Nan Tigo. Fiercely swirling tidal waves hit coastal areas in many parts of Indonesia on Friday, knocking down fishermen`s houses, cutting off access roads and disrupting tourist activities on beaches in Sumatra, Java and Bali islands. On the western tip of Sumatra, in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam province, tidal waves swept through at least 10 coastal villages in Aceh Barat district, about 250 km west of Banda Aceh, forcing thousands of people to flee their homes. It was the third time this month for the district to be hit by tidal waves. The two previous tidal waves affected the coastal villages of Padang Sirahet, Kampung Pasir, Kampung Belakang and Suak Indrapuri in Johan Pahlawan sub district in Meulaboh, capital of Aceh Barat district. Besides in Sumatra, tidal waves also engulfed several coastal areas in Java. Hundreds of houses and kiosks were damaged as 5-meter-high tidal waves fell on Pelabuhan Ratu coast in Sukabumi district and Cilacap, West Java. Geophysics and Meteorology (BMG) officials said the tidal waves that happened in Java`s northern and southern coastal areas were triggered by the accumulation of wind swell from other areas.
