Quake and Tsunami Hit West Java

An estimated 106 people have been killed in a tsunami triggered by an earthquake off the island of Java. The earthquake which had a magnitude of 7.2 struck off the town of Pangandaran.

One resident said high waves had destroyed hotels in Pangandaran and thrown boats onto the beach. Many small hotels were destroyed and boats have been thrown into hotels.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said "Based on reports I have received, five people have been killed. The search is ongoing for those who are still missing" he told reporters.

Police in Pangandaran told the AFP news agency that there were reports of several casualties.

Warnings

Tremors from the earthquake were felt in the capital Jakarta for more than one minute but there were no reports of damage or casualties there.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii had issued tsunami warnings for parts of Indonesia and Australia and the Japan Meteorological Agency also warned of localised tsunamis.

The areas that could be affected were the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra, and Australia's Christmas and Cocos islands the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.

India has issued a tsunami warning for its Andaman and Nicobar islands which are located west of Indonesia, Reuters said.

Earthquakes occur frequently in Indonesia which sits on the seismically active so-called Pacific Rim of Fire. More than 130,000 people were killed in Indonesia in the December 2004 Asian tsunami.