Anak Karakatoa volcano triggers tsunami, more than 200 killed
I pray Indonesians will remain strong in facing this test, says DPM
MALAYSIA is ready to extend assistance to Indonesia in the wake of a tsunami that struck areas around the Sunda Strait on Saturday, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said yesterday.
“I am saddened to hear news of the tsunami disaster in Banten, Indonesia.
“I pray Indonesians will remain strong in facing this test. Malaysia is ready to extend assistance to alleviate the burden of our brothers and sisters in Indonesia. @jokowi#PrayForIndonesia,” she tweeted as reported by Bernama.
Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency said Kabupaten, Pandeglang, Lampung Selatan and Serang on Java and Sumatra islands were worst hit by the tsunami, which was triggered by the eruption of Anak Karakatoa at 9.27pm on Saturday.
No Malaysians have been reported to be affected in the incident.
The Malaysian embassy in Jakarta said it had yet to receive news of Malaysians being involved in the incident.
“For now, no reports have been received on Malaysians being involved. The embassy will continue to monitor the situation and share information.”
It said those seeking aid from the consulate could contact the officer in charge at +62 813 8081 3036.
The tsunami killed more than 200 and injured more than 800.
The death toll is expected to increase.
Hundreds of buildings were destroyed.
The authorities said the tsunami could have been triggered by an abnormal tidal surge due to a new moon and an underwater landslide following the eruption of Anak Krakatoa, which formed a small island in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra.
The wave swamped parts of the coast around the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra islands, but was most damaging in Pandeglang on Java’s western tip, where 33 people died and 491 people were injured.
Indonesia, one of the most disaster-prone nations on Earth, straddles the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, where tectonic plates collide, and volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur.
Most recently, in the city of Palu on Sulawesi island, an earthquake and tsunami killed thousands of people.
In 2004, a tsunami triggered by a magnitude 9.3 undersea earthquake off the coast of Sumatra in western Indonesia killed 220,000 people in countries around the Indian Ocean, including 168,000 in Indonesia.
Anak Krakatoa is one of 127 active volcanoes which run the length of the archipelago.