Pangandaran, Indonesia – Rumors of another killer wave sparked mass panic Wednesday in the resort area hardest hit by the Indonesian tsunami, while the death toll rose to 531, with more than 270 missing.
More than 1,000 residents of the beach town of Pangandaran fled inland, running, bicycling or driving amid shouts of “the water is coming!”
It was unclear how the rumor started. Indonesia has no nationwide warning system.
Several hours later, a strong earthquake off Java island’s coast caused buildings in the capital, Jakarta, to sway for more than a minute.
There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
Monday’s tsunami, triggered by a magnitude-7.7 undersea earthquake, smashed into a 110-mile stretch of Java’s coastline, which was unaffected by the devastating wave of Dec. 26, 2004, which killed more than 220,000 people in 11 countries around the Indian Ocean.
Waves more than 6 feet high reached 200 yards inland Monday, destroying scores of houses, restaurants and hotels.
Amateur video aired Wednesday showed children playing in the surf and building sand castles, followed by brief shots of a wall of black water bearing down on Pangandaran beach on Java’s south coast. The camera operator runs away amid the sound of screaming.
The region has been rattled by aftershocks since Monday, including Wednesday’s quake that had a preliminary magnitude of 6.1.
