Eleven people died after being swept by tidal waves into the sea from the southern coast of Indonesia’s East Java province on Sunday, said a local disaster management official.
The accident occurred at about 00:25 a.m. local time on Sunday when 23 people were conducting a traditional ritual at the Payangan beach in Jember district, Head of Operation Unit of the Disaster Management and Mitigation Agency in East Java Budi Santosa said.
“Suddenly, tidal waves came and swept them into the sea. It was at the southern coast of Java island, and the waves are huge. They had been forbidden to do such activity,” he told Xinhua by phone.
Twelve others survived from the accident, he added
A 2-year-old girl was among the twelve survivors at the Payangan beach in Jember district, the officials said. They were being treated at a health clinic.
“A local resident warned them not to go into the sea because of big waves but they ignored it,” said chief rescuer I Wayan Suyatna. He said that 23 of them were dragged by a sudden wave.
The last victim was recovered on Sunday afternoon.