Search
Close this search box.
GBC
GHANA WEATHER

'Volcano tsunami' hits Indonesia after Krakatoa eruption

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
WhatsApp
Pinterest

At least 62 people have been killed and 584 injured after a tsunami hit the coast on Indonesia’s Sunda Strait, government officials say.

The country’s disaster management agency says hundreds of buildings were damaged by Saturday’s tsunami.

It says the possible cause of the tsunami was undersea landslides after the Krakatoa volcano erupted.

The strait, between the islands of Java and Sumatra, connects the Java Sea to the Indian Ocean.

The disaster management agency warned that the death toll after the tsunami, that struck at about 21:30 local time (14:30GMT) on Saturday, is likely to rise further.

Deaths have been reported in the Pandeglang, South Lampung and Serang regions.

Among the areas hit was the popular Tanjung Lesung beach resort in west Java. There was no warning of the advancing wave.

Footage shared on social media showed a large wave crashing into a tent in the resort, in which a popular Indonesian rock band, Seventeen, was performing. Members of the band were seen being swept away as the wave destroyed the stage.

In an Instagram video, singer Riefian Fajarsyah, said the band’s bassist and road manager had died, and that three other band members and his own wife were missing.

The country’s Red Cross said it was on the scene and searching for victims in the rubble of one collapsed building.

Indonesia is prone to tsunamis because it lies on the Ring of Fire – the line of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that circles virtually the entire Pacific rim.

In September, more than 2,000 people died when a powerful earthquake struck just off the central Indonesian island of Sulawesi, setting off a tsunami that engulfed the coastal city of Palu.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

ADVERTISEMENT