Two-metre high tsunami hits Indonesian beach resort

JAKARTA - A powerful earthquake sent a two-metre high tsunami crashing into a beach resort on Indonesia's Java Island today, killing at least three people and damaging hotels and houses, AP news agency has reported.

People fled to a nearby hill to escape the wave on Pangandaran beach in west Java, a witness told AP.

"All the houses are destroyed along the beach," the woman, identified as Teti, told el-Shinta radio station. She added that at least three people were killed.

The tsunami followed a 7.2-magnitude earthquake which struck off the Indonesian island of Java at 3.24am local time (8.24pm NZT).

Some occupants of high-rise Jakarta buildings felt the quake, which had an epicentre more than 30 km under the Indian Ocean off Java's southern Pangandaran beach.

The beach is located around 270 km southeast of Jakarta.

Earthquakes are frequent in Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous country. A massive earthquake in December 2004 triggered a tsunami that left 170,000 people killed or missing in Aceh province.

In May, an earthquake near the central Java city of Yogyakarta killed more than 5,700 people.

Indonesia's 17,000 islands sprawl along a belt of intense volcanic and seismic activity, part of what is called the "Pacific Ring of Fire".

- REUTERS