VZCZCXRO2649
OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #8959/01 2000045
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 190045Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7383
INFO RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA IMMEDIATE 9740
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON IMMEDIATE 0949
RUEHPB/AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY IMMEDIATE 3188
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON IMMEDIATE 0747
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS IMMEDIATE 0915
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS IMMEDIATE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RHHMUNA/USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE
RUHPSAA/SOCPAC HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE
RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 008959 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: AEMR CASC EAID PREF SENV SOCI ID
SUBJECT: INDONESIA: JULY 17 TSUNAMI-EARTHQUAKE UPDATE 
 
Ref:  Jakarta 8956 
 
JAKARTA 00008959  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. Summary. Casualty reports from the July 17 
earthquake/tsunami in southern Java are mixed with local TV 
station Metro TV reporting 314 dead, Associated Press 
reporting 306 dead, and local government authorities noting 
141 dead.  Most observers expect casualty figures to rise as 
more information becomes available.  There are no known 
Amcits injured or killed.  Towns and communities along a 175- 
kilometer stretch of the Southern Java coastline have 
experienced significant damage to buildings, homes and 
fishing boats.  An estimated 35,000 people have been 
displaced.  A three-person team from the Mission is in the 
affected area meeting with local and international 
organizations.  Government of Indonesia and UNESCO sources 
report the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center warned the 
Meterological and Geophysical Agency (BMG) approximately 20 
minutes before the tsunami hit, but this was insufficient 
time for local authorities to organize a meaningful 
response.  Reftel is a USAID disaster relief message 
requesting USD 50,000 in U.S. emergency assistance.  End 
Summary. 
 
¶2. The 7.7 earthquake occurred at 3:19 pm local time on July 
¶17. The epicenter of the quake was approximately 224 miles 
south of Jakarta and 135 miles northeast of Christmas 
Island.  The most heavily affected town is Pangandaran in 
Ciamis Regency, West Java Province.  The Pacific Tsunami 
Warning Center in Hawaii reported that the quake had a 
magnitude of 7.2 on the Richter scale, while the U.S. 
Geological Survey measured the magnitude at 7.7. The quake 
generated a tsunami several meters high that crashed into 
the coast at approximately 40 kilometers per hour. 
 
¶3. USGS continues to report numerous aftershocks occurring 
in the general area of the epicenter. As of 3 pm on July 18, 
six aftershocks have occurred, ranging in magnitude from 5.5 
to 6.3 occurred at 22:42, 22:45 and 23:09 on July 17, and 
07:15, 11:18 and 12:27 on July 18. 
 
AMERICAN CITIZENS 
------------------ 
 
¶4. There are no known Amcits living in or near Pangandaran. 
Consular staff contacted the homes of about a dozen 
registered American families living in neighboring towns of 
Tasikmalaya and Ciamis.  In most cases, Amcits were not home 
but domestic staff confirmed their well-being.  Amcits in 
the West Java capital of Bandung, home to many international 
schools and Indonesian language schools, report the 
earthquake did not affect the city. Post has received no 
registrations via its internet based registration system for 
Amcits planning to travel to the West Java coast. 
 
¶5. Embassy staff from USAID, consular, and regional security 
sections arrived in Ciamis late afternoon local time July 
¶18.  They are visiting hospitals and meeting with local 
officials to inquire about foreign victims.  An Australian 
Embassy officer who arrived in Pangandaran at 8:00 am local 
time July 18 told us he has visited many medical facilities 
and a makeshift morgue.  He reported one morgue has five 
victims believed to be foreign.  One is a Dutch citizen, one 
is reportedly "Arabic," and three are unidentified.  Press 
reports indicate an unidentified "French woman" as one of 
the foreign victims.  Australian Embassy personnel spoke 
with several Australian hikers and surfers who were caught 
by the earthquake and tsunami, but were not injured.  One 
surfer spent the night floating on his surfboard at sea, but 
is now fine. 
 
¶6. Post has received welfare and whereabouts inquiries for 
nine Amcits traveling in Indonesia and resolved two.  The 
other seven individuals are traveling in Bali, Lombok and 
North Sulawesi.  One has plane reservations to depart 
Indonesia for Vietnam on July 18.  We have received no 
inquiries about Amcits believed to be traveling anywhere 
near the affected area. 
 
EMERGENCY RESPONSE 
------------------- 
 
 
JAKARTA 00008959  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶7. USAID has prepared a disaster declaration and is 
requesting an immediate USD 50,000 to provide relief for the 
earthquake affected victims in Southern Java.  USAID will 
channel funds to the International Federation of Red Cross 
and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in order to support the 
Indonesian Red Cross (PMI). 
 
¶8. The Indonesian Red Cross has already deployed volunteers 
to provide search and rescue in the affected areas.  The 
World Health Organization (WHO) is facilitating the Ministry 
of Health's (MOH) operations, and has health kits ready for 
distribution.  A rapid response team led by the UN Office 
for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) is 
visiting the affected area on July 18.  The team includes 
staff from UNOCHA, the UN Development Program (UNDP), the UN 
Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Programme (WFP) and 
the WHO.  The International Medical Corps (IMC) is also 
assessing the situation in West Java.  Following the 
IFRC/PMI initial assessment, we expect U.S. assistance will 
be required to support additional relief efforts including 
emergency supplies and transportation in the impacted area. 
 
MILITARY CONTACTS 
----------------- 
 
¶9. The Defense Attache's Office (DAO) has spoken with 
Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) Headquarters personnel 
regarding any request for U.S. military assistance.  TNI is 
still coordinating their response to the tsunami and has not 
indicated to DAO they will be requesting assistance.  The 
U.S. Pacific Command has been monitoring the situation from 
the onset and based on reporting from DAO is not 
anticipating to assist in relief efforts at this time. 
 
EARLY WARNING SYSTEM 
--------------------- 
 
¶10. UNESCO and BMG sources told us on July 17 that The 
Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii and the Japanese 
Meterological agency were able to issue local tsunami 
warnings to Indonesian and UNESCO authorities including the 
BMG.  The warning was received at 3:38 pm local time 
predicting the possibility that a local tsunami might hit 
the shores at 4 pm.  According to contacts at BMG, the BMG 
central office was able to relay information on to its 
Cilicap BMG office, which then contacted local police via 
radio.  However, BMG does not have a local office in West 
Java and depends on local authorities for subsequent 
notification.  In this instance, local authorities had 
insufficient time for meaningful reaction. 
 
PASCOE