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| Tsunami in Sunda Strait leaves many dead in Indonesia | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Hundreds of people have been killed and many more injured after a tsunami struck tourist beaches and coastal areas around Indonesia’s Sunda Strait on Saturday night. | |
| Officials said 222 people were confirmed dead and 843 injured after what is thought to have been an underwater landslide caused by a volcanic eruption. which sent waves surging toward the coastlines of Java and Sumatra islands at around 9.30pm local time (2.30pm GMT). | |
| Indonesia’s disaster management agency said 28 people were still missing and that the death toll could rise because rescuers had not reached all of the affected areas. | |
| Indonesia tsunami: 43 dead and 'many missing' after Anak Krakatoa erupts – latest updates | Indonesia tsunami: 43 dead and 'many missing' after Anak Krakatoa erupts – latest updates |
| The worst-hit area was the Pandeglang region of Banten province in Java, which encompasses the Ujung Kulon national park and popular beaches, the agency said. | The worst-hit area was the Pandeglang region of Banten province in Java, which encompasses the Ujung Kulon national park and popular beaches, the agency said. |
| Film footage taken on mobile phones showed the moment the tsunami hit beaches and residential areas in Pandeglang, sweeping with people and buildings away. Rescue efforts continued as night fell on Sunday, but workers and ambulances were prevented from reaching some areas because roads were still blocked by debris. | |
| Kathy Mueller from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies told AFP that aid workers were helping to evacuate the injured and bring in clean water, tarpaulins and provide shelter. She said the group was preparing for the possibility of diseases breaking out in the tsunami zone. | |
| The water washed away an outdoor stage where a local rock band, Seventeen, was performing, killing their bassist and manager. Other people who had been watching the band on the beach were missing. | The water washed away an outdoor stage where a local rock band, Seventeen, was performing, killing their bassist and manager. Other people who had been watching the band on the beach were missing. |
| “The water washed away the stage which was located very close to the sea,” the band said in a statement. “The water rose and dragged away everyone at the location. We have lost loved ones, including our bassist and manager … and others are missing.” | “The water washed away the stage which was located very close to the sea,” the band said in a statement. “The water rose and dragged away everyone at the location. We have lost loved ones, including our bassist and manager … and others are missing.” |
| In the city of Bandar Lampung on southern Sumatra, hundreds of residents took refuge at the governor’s office. | In the city of Bandar Lampung on southern Sumatra, hundreds of residents took refuge at the governor’s office. |
| Muhammad Bintang, who was at Carita beach on the west coast of Java when the wave hit, described a sudden surge of water that plunged the tourist spot into darkness. “We arrived at 9pm for our holiday and suddenly the water came – it went dark, the electricity is off,” the 15-year-old said. “It’s messy outside and we still cannot access the road.” | Muhammad Bintang, who was at Carita beach on the west coast of Java when the wave hit, described a sudden surge of water that plunged the tourist spot into darkness. “We arrived at 9pm for our holiday and suddenly the water came – it went dark, the electricity is off,” the 15-year-old said. “It’s messy outside and we still cannot access the road.” |
| The disaster mitigation agency said it was still compiling information on the tsunami’s impact and that there was a “possibility that data on the victims and damage will increase”. | The disaster mitigation agency said it was still compiling information on the tsunami’s impact and that there was a “possibility that data on the victims and damage will increase”. |
| “Heavy equipment is being deployed to assist in evacuation and emergency repairs. BMKG and the Geological Agency are carrying out studies to ascertain the causes of the tsunamis and possible follow-up.” | |
| Authorities have told residents and tourists in coastal areas around the Sunda Strait to stay away from beaches, and a high-tide warning will remain in place until 25 December. | |
| The tsunami is believed to have been caused by undersea landslides that followed an eruption of the Anak Krakatoa volcano. There were no significant seismic tremors to indicate a tsunami was coming. | |
| Anak Krakatoa, which is roughly halfway between Java and Sumatra, has been spewing ash and lava for months. The island volcano, whose name means “Child of Krakatoa”, is one of 127 active along the length of the Indonesian archipelago. It emerged from the ocean half a century after an eruption on nearby Krakatoa in 1883. That eruption, thought to be one of the most violent volcanic events in history, killed more than 36,000 people. | |
| Ben van der Pluijm, an earthquake geologist and a professor in the University of Michigan, said the tsunami may have been caused by a partial collapse of Anak Krakatoa. “Instability of the slope of an active volcano can create a rock slide that moves a large volume of water, creating local tsunami waves that can be very powerful. This is like suddenly dropping a bag of sand in a tub filled with water,” he said. | |
| Tsunamis caused in this way do not trigger alert systems and give authorities very little time to warn people of the impending threat. Dr Simon Boxall from the National Oceanography Centre and University of Southampton said: “There will be an outcry as to why an early warning system didn’t kick in. The same criticism was levelled after the September Palu tsunami which killed 2,000 people. | Tsunamis caused in this way do not trigger alert systems and give authorities very little time to warn people of the impending threat. Dr Simon Boxall from the National Oceanography Centre and University of Southampton said: “There will be an outcry as to why an early warning system didn’t kick in. The same criticism was levelled after the September Palu tsunami which killed 2,000 people. |
| “These tsunamis are very localised and to cover the Indian Ocean with sufficient sensors to warn against all such eventualities would require many thousand buoys on the network.” | “These tsunamis are very localised and to cover the Indian Ocean with sufficient sensors to warn against all such eventualities would require many thousand buoys on the network.” |
| The Red Cross said the waves reached a height of 30-90 centimetres (1-3 feet). Indonesia’s national disaster agency said the size of the tsunami may have been exacerbated by an abnormally high tide because of the full moon. | The Red Cross said the waves reached a height of 30-90 centimetres (1-3 feet). Indonesia’s national disaster agency said the size of the tsunami may have been exacerbated by an abnormally high tide because of the full moon. |
| According to a statement from Indonesia’s meteorology, climatology and geophysics agency (BMKG), “the tsunami hit several areas of the Sunda Strait, including beaches in Pandeglang regency, Serang, and South Lampung”. The Sunda Strait, between the islands of Java and Sumatra, connects the Java Sea to the Indian Ocean. | According to a statement from Indonesia’s meteorology, climatology and geophysics agency (BMKG), “the tsunami hit several areas of the Sunda Strait, including beaches in Pandeglang regency, Serang, and South Lampung”. The Sunda Strait, between the islands of Java and Sumatra, connects the Java Sea to the Indian Ocean. |
| Footage posted by the head of communications for the disaster agency, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, showed the aftermath of the tsunami, with flooded streets and an overturned car. Nugroho said 556 houses, nine hotels, 60 food stalls and 350 boats were known to have been damaged. | Footage posted by the head of communications for the disaster agency, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, showed the aftermath of the tsunami, with flooded streets and an overturned car. Nugroho said 556 houses, nine hotels, 60 food stalls and 350 boats were known to have been damaged. |
| Øystein Lund Andersen, a Norwegian photographer who was in the area, wrote on Facebook that he was taking pictures of the volcano when he suddenly saw a big wave come toward him. “I had to run, as the wave passed the beach and landed 15-20m [metres] inland,” he wrote. | Øystein Lund Andersen, a Norwegian photographer who was in the area, wrote on Facebook that he was taking pictures of the volcano when he suddenly saw a big wave come toward him. “I had to run, as the wave passed the beach and landed 15-20m [metres] inland,” he wrote. |
| “Next wave entered the hotel area where I was staying and downed cars on the road behind it. Managed to evacuate with my family to higher ground through forest paths and villages, where we are taken care of [by] the locals. We’re unharmed, thankfully.” | “Next wave entered the hotel area where I was staying and downed cars on the road behind it. Managed to evacuate with my family to higher ground through forest paths and villages, where we are taken care of [by] the locals. We’re unharmed, thankfully.” |
| Sunda Strait tsunami is latest in a series of Indonesian disasters in 2018 | Sunda Strait tsunami is latest in a series of Indonesian disasters in 2018 |
| Indonesia sits on the seismically active Pacific “ring of fire” and is regularly hit by earthquakes and tsunamis. In September, at least 832 people were killed by a quake and tsunami that hit the city of Palu on the island of Sulawesi, which is just east of Borneo. | Indonesia sits on the seismically active Pacific “ring of fire” and is regularly hit by earthquakes and tsunamis. In September, at least 832 people were killed by a quake and tsunami that hit the city of Palu on the island of Sulawesi, which is just east of Borneo. |
| In 2004, a tsunami triggered by a magnitude-9.3 undersea earthquake off the coast of Sumatra killed 220,000 people in countries around the Indian Ocean, including 168,000 in Indonesia. | In 2004, a tsunami triggered by a magnitude-9.3 undersea earthquake off the coast of Sumatra killed 220,000 people in countries around the Indian Ocean, including 168,000 in Indonesia. |
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