Chronicle Editor
The death toll from a volcano-triggered tsunami in Indonesia has risen to 222, with more than 800 people injured, officials said yesterday.
“Over 222 people are dead, 843 people are injured and 28 people are missing,” Indonesia’s national disaster agency spokesperson Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.
“This number is predicted to increase because not all victims have been successfully evacuated, not all health centres have reported victims and not all locations have got complete data.”
The tsunami hit both sides of Indonesia’s Sunda Strait on Saturday, sending a wall of water crashing about 20 metres inland and sweeping away hundreds of homes and hotels, officials and witnesses have said.
Scientists from Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency, also known as BMKG, said it could have been caused by undersea landslides from the eruption of Anak Krakatau, a volcanic island formed over years from the nearby Krakatau volcano. They also cited tidal waves caused by the full moon.
The worst affected area was the Pandeglang region of Banten province in Java, which encompasses the Ujung Kulon National Park and popular beaches, the disaster agency said. Of the deaths, at least 33 were in Pandeglang.
In the city of Bandar Lampung on southern Sumatra, hundreds of residents took refuge at the governor’s office.
Alif, a resident in Pandeglang district, said the tsunami reached about three metres high. He told MetroTV station that many people were still searching for missing relatives.
TV footage showed roads blocked by debris from damaged houses, overturned cars and fallen trees. The water washed away an outdoor stage where a local rock band was performing, killing at least one musician. Others were missing.
Authorities warned residents and tourists in coastal areas around the Sunda Strait to stay away from beaches and a high-tide warning remained in place through till December 25.
“Please do not be around the beaches around the Sunda Strait. Those who have evacuated, please do not return yet,” said Rahmat Triyono of BMKG. – Al Jazeera
Online Reporter