The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNBP) dismissed circulating rumors that a cyclone struck Bali and caused hundreds of fatalities — rumors circulated through the blogosphere on Friday and Saturday.
“We have checked our Bali office and there is no such thing. It’s a hoax,” agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told Antara.
Sutopo said that high waves and strong winds from tropical storm Iggy had been thrashing Bali, causing the closure of the famed Kuta beach and the Padang Bai ferry port, where ferries depart for Lombok island.
On Wednesday, Sutopo also said strong winds claimed the lives of two Tabanan residents, Wayan Tirtayasa and Saifudin. Both died when they were hit by a tree uprooted by the wind. Four other bystanders were injured in the incident.
