"Darwanto (Anto) Odang, a 35-year old man from Holtekamp area in the district of Muara Tami, Jayapura, fell from a boat and drowned in the ripple when he was trying to rescue his family members," the victim`s neighbor, Ferry Mansi, said here on Saturday.
Besides, the tail of the tsunami from Japan also destroyed a number houses and a bridge at Tobati village on a separate island in Youtefa bay.
"A number of houses and a bridge at Tobati village were seriously damaged and a few of them were swept away by the tail of the tsunami from Japan," local community spokesman Marcelino Hababuk said on Saturday morning.
He said the tsunami hit Tobati village on a separate island from Jayapura in the gulf of Yotefa at 9.30 pm local time.
Marcelindo said when they heard a tsunami was heading to Jayapura, they immediately fled to higher grounds so they were safe from the disaster but some of their houses were destroyed.
Earlier, on Friday, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) of Jayapura stated that a tsunami may hit north Papua waters following the 8.9 earthquake that jolted Japan.
"The areas of north Papua waters are Jayapura, Sarmi, Biak, Serui and surroundings," said Sudaryano, Head of Jayapura BMKG, here Friday.
According to him, the potential of a tsunami would hit Papua waters at 8 pm Indonesian eastern time.
"The tsunami was triggered by an earthquake that jolted Japan measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale," he said.
He added, he had warned people in Papua on the threat of the tsunami that may hit north Papua.(*)
O001/HAJM
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
