October 8, 1950 Tsunami: Banda Sea, Indonesia

Reference #414:

October 8, 1950. A call for help came from Ambon Island because of a strong earthquake and gigantic tidal wave. A large number of victims was feared. The existence of this great wave (according to press accounts, it had a

height of 200 m [?]) could not be confirmed from the tide gauge records.

Reference #3571:

Radio Amboina sent out a second urgent call for Red Cross help today for victims of Sunday's earthquake and tidal wave, which swept away two coastal villages. The radio is the voice of the rebel South Moluccan government. The broadcast gave no indication of the number of persons affected by the tidal wave but said waves reaching 656 feet inland demolished Galala (population 1,000), near the capital city of Amboina, and the southeast coastal village of Hutumuri (population 2,000).

Reference #7515:

An Ambon radio report reveals that a violent earthquake lasting all day rocked Ambon Island on Sunday. It caused huge tidal waves.

Reference #11611:

The witnesses said that the strong wave destroyed the houses in Hutumuri villages except the church. The wave was about 2-3 metres "All houses collapsed, the chain fence behind the church which was about 2 metres above the ground collapsed. "Before the tsunami came, this village had three parallel streets, the one closest to the beach vanished and the street in the middle (second street) was inundated".

They also said there were three waves that hit Hative Kecil and Galala, " there were three waves that came, the first wave was not too high, the second was the highest, the third was a bit lower. The destructive was the second one that caused all the houses to vanish". "I saw the first water quite high, taking all the houses back to the sea, the second wave brought the big boat to the coast, the third one made everything in the village gone. "There were three waves, one small, second big and the third is the biggest. The wave was as tall as the coconut tree, it was like flood but very strong. It took all the houses in Galala Village, I think there are only 4 houses left in Galala. "All houses were destroyed and that remains here (Hative Kecil Village) only five houses.

There were no victims in Hative Kecil and Galala.