Another tsunami on Indonesia's Java coast

Another tsunami has hit Indonesia on Monday, killing at least 80 people, Heru Asprihanto reports for Reuters.

PANGANDARAN, Indonesia (Reuters) - A tsunami triggered by a strong undersea earthquake off the coast of Indonesia's Java island on Monday killed at least 80 people, swept away buildings and damaged hundreds of fishing boats, officials and witnesses said.

News of the disaster spread panic across a region still recovering from a tsunami less than two years ago in which nearly 230,000 people were killed or reported missing, mostly in Indonesia. But there were no reports of casualties or damage in any other country from Monday's tsunami.

"Our latest data shows 80 people have died while at least 68 are badly injured. The number can climb because many may have been swept away by the waves," Fitri Sidikah, an official at the Indonesian Red Cross disaster center, told Reuters.

"We are going to send body bags, tents and other equipment," she said. "Around 650 fishing boats are damaged."

Waves up to 1.5 metres (five feet) high crashed into Pangandaran beach near the town of Ciamis, 270 km (170 miles) southeast of Jakarta, killing 37 people, a local official said.

"The number could grow because when we went to the shore, rescuers were trying to evacuate more bodies," Rudi Supriatna Bahro told Metro TV.

Bahro said areas up to half a kilometre (550 yards) from the beach were affected by the tsunami, with flimsily constructed buildings flattened. "We need tents, food and medical aid."