Tsunami hits without warning, 222 killed
About 843 people injured and 28 still missing
A TSUNAMI killed at least 222 people and injured hundreds on the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra following an underwater landslide believed to have been caused by the erupting Anak Krakatau volcano, officials said yesterday.
Hundreds of homes and other buildings were damaged when the tsunami struck, almost without warning, along the rim of the Sunda Strait on Saturday, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesperson for the disaster mitigation agency said.
Thousands of residents were forced to evacuate to higher ground.
By 5.40pm (10.40 GMT), the disaster agency had raised the death toll to 222, with 843 injured and 28 missing.
It has been a torrid year for the vast archipelago that sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire. Successive earthquakes flattened parts of the tourist island of Lombok in July and August, and a double quake-and-tsunami killed more than 2 000 people on Sulawesi Island in September.
Yesterday, rescue efforts continued, but 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.
TV images showed the tsunami hit the beach and residential areas in Pandeglang on Java island, dragging with it victims, debris, and large chunks of wood and metal. Coastal residents reported not seeing or feeling any warning signs on Saturday, such as receding water or an earthquake, before waves of 2-3m washed ashore, according to reports. Authorities said a warning siren went off in some areas.
The timing of the tsunami, over the Christmas holiday season, evoked memories of the Indian Ocean tsunami triggered by an earthquake on December 26 in 2004, which killed 226 000 people in 14 countries, including more than 120 000 in Indonesia.
Øystein Lund Andersen, a Norwegian holidaymaker, was in Anyer town with his family when Saturday’s tsunami struck. “I had to run, as the wave passed the beach and landed 15-20m inland.
“Next wave entered the hotel area where I was staying and drowned cars on the road behind it,” he said on Facebook. “Managed to evacuate with my family to higher ground through forest paths and villages, where we are taken care of by the locals.”
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 until Christmas Day, as officials tried to determine the exact cause of the disaster.
“Those who have evacuated, please do not return yet,” said Rahmat Triyono, an official at the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency.
President Joko Widodo, who is running for re-election in April, said on Twitter that he had “ordered all relevant government agencies to immediately take emergency response steps, find victims and care for the injured”.
Vice-president Jusuf Kalla said the death toll would “likely increase”.
The western coast of Banten province in Java, Indonesia’s most populated island, was the worst-hit area, Nugroho told reporters in Yogyakarta. He also said at least 35 people were reported dead in Lampung in southern Sumatra.
The Red Cross sent out equipment and aid from its regional warehouse in Banten, including water, tarpaulins, shovels and axes, as well as hygiene kits, it said.
Television footage showed when the tsunami washed away an outdoor stage where a local rock band was performing for hundreds of guests at an end-of-year party for state utility company, PLN.
Four of the musicians from the band, Seventeen, were killed, along with 29 PLN employees and relatives.
“The water washed away the stage, which was located very close to the sea,” the band said.
“The water rose and dragged away everyone at the location. We have lost loved ones, including our bassist and manager… and others are missing.”