MANY TSUNAMI EARLY DETECTION TOOLS IN SUMATERA MISSING By Ahmad Fuad Yahya JAKARTA, April 14 (Bernama) - The Indonesian Assessment and Technology Application Agency is working with the United States to produce tsunami early detect

By Ahmad Fuad Yahya JAKARTA, April 14 (Bernama) - The Indonesian Assessment and Technology Application Agency is working with the United States to produce tsunami early detection tools that can be installed underwater to prevent vandalism. The move followed discovery that many tools installed along the Sumatera west coast were missing or not functioning due to acts by irresponsible people. "We are developing tsunami early detection tools for installation underwater to prevent it from going missing," said Indonesian Minister of Research and Technology, Gusti Muhammad Hatta in Solo, Central Java. He said apart from Sumatera west coast where many tools were installed, the authorities will also install the tools in the waters off Papua. "Monitoring and maintenance will also be enhanced to ensure that tsunami early detection tools installed along the coastline function again." Residents in some areas of Sumatera west coast complained that they did not hear siren of the tsunami early warning system after a 8.5 magnitude earthquake rocked Aceh on Wednesday. Aceh experienced several tectonic earthquakes measuring 5.5 magnitude at 415km southwest of Banda Aceh with a depth of 10km at about 3.21 am Friday. -BERNAMA