In pics: Volcano-triggered tsunami washes away hundreds in Indonesia
Over 200 dead, hundreds injured
A tsunami killed at least 200 people and injured hundreds on the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra which was followed by an underwater landslide believed caused by the erupting Anak Krakatau volcano, officials and media said on Sunday.
Damage to over hundred homes and other buildings
More than hundred homes and other buildings were "heavily damaged" when the tsunami struck along the rim of the Sunda Strait late on Saturday, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for the disaster mitigation agency, said.
Thousands forced to evacuate, no count on missing
Thousands of residents were forced to evacuate to higher ground. There was no estimate on the number of missing.
Eruption of Krakatau
The eruption of Krakatau in 1883 killed more than 36,000 people in a series of tsunamis. Anak Krakatau is the island that emerged from the area once occupied by Krakatau, which was destroyed in 1883. It first appeared in 1927 and has been growing ever since.
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.
Difficult to reach affected areas
Rescue workers and ambulances were finding it difficult to reach affected areas because some roads were blocked by debris from damaged houses, overturned cars and fallen trees.
Tsunami was caused by 'an undersea landslide resulting from volcanic activity on Anak Krakatau'
Officials were trying to determine the exact cause of the disaster. Anak Krakatau, an active volcano roughly halfway between Java and Sumatra, has been spewing ash and lava for months. It erupted again just after 9 p.m. on Saturday and the tsunami struck at around 9.30 p.m., according to BMKG.
The tsunami was caused by "an undersea landslide resulting from volcanic activity on Anak Krakatau" and was exacerbated by abnormally high tide because of the full moon, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for the disaster mitigation agency.
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 Krakatau.
Series of tragedies struck Indonesia in 2018
Saturday's tsunami was the latest in a series of tragedies that have struck Indonesia, a vast archipelago, this year. Successive earthquakes flattened parts of the tourist island of Lombok, and a double quake-and-tsunami killed thousands on Sulawesi island. Nearly 200 people died when a Lion Air passenger plane crashed into the Java Sea in October.
(With input from Reuters)
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