TORNADOES IN INDONESIA LEAVE 7 PEOPLE DEAD, 51 INJURED, OVER 1,000 HOUSES DAMAGED

JAKARTA, Jan 26 (Bernama) -- The tornadoes and strong winds that hit several

areas in Java and Bali on Wednesday, have left seven people dead, 51 injured and

more than 1,000 houses damaged.

The dead victims comprise three who were crushed by falling trees in

Purbalingga, one each in South Jakarta and Wonosobo, and two in Bali.

The country''s National Disaster Management Body (BNPB) recorded 22 districts

and towns being hit by tornadoes yesterday, namely South Jakarta, Seribu

islands, Bekasi, Sukabumi, Indramayu, Magelang, Semarang, Sleman, Wonosobo,

Purbalingga, Banjarnegara, Ponorogo, Ngawi, Magetan, Situbondo, Kediri, Blitar,

Malang, Bangkalan, Sumenep, and Bali.

In Seribu islands, 499 houses were damaged by a tornado.

The BNPB said yesterday''s tornadoes and strong winds were triggered by

tropical cyclone Iggy which formed on the Indian Ocean, south of Bali and Nusa

Tenggara.

According to the Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and

Geophysics, tropical cyclome Iggy brought about winds with a speed of over 36pkh

and turbulent sea waves of four to six metres high in several Indonesian waters.

-- BERNAMA

AFY AFY MO