The tsunami is thought to have been caused by a recent eruption of a nearby volcano. Image: AP
Over 200 people are dead and nearly 1000 are injured or missing after a tsunami slammed into Indonesia’s Sunda Strait. With no warning, residents were taken completely by surprise when the waves hit on Saturday night. According to reports, hundreds of buildings have been destroyed.
While it has yet to be confirmed, the cause of the tsunami is thought to be an eruption from the nearby Anak Krakatua volcano. The Sunda Strait sits between Sumatra and Java. More than 160 of the deaths occurred in Pandelglang, a popular tourist destination.
Officials are currently searching for survivors, but rescue efforts are severely hampered by rubble and blocked roads. Indonesia’s disaster management agency is warning people to stay away from the coastline with fears of more waves. “There is debris littering the ground, crushed cars, crushed motorcycles,” Red Cross official Kathy Mueller told the BBC. “We’re seeing buildings that are collapsed.”
Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, the head of public relations at Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency reported that 558 houses were destroyed, while nine hotels, 60 restaurants, and 350 boats were heavily damaged.
Shocking footage emerged of the moment the tsunami hit the stage that a popular Indonesian band, Seventeen, was playing on.
According to BBC, singer Riefian Fajarsyah reported that the bassist and the road manager were both killed, while three other band members and his wife were missing. We’ll have more on this story as it develops.
