Indonesia Tsunami Kills At Least 168, More than 745 People Injured

Indonesia tsunami kills at least 20 people

The tsunami has destroyed 558 houses and heavily damaged nine hotels, 60 restaurants and 350 boats, indicating the tsunami hit residential and tourist areas.

At least 168 people have been killed and more than 745 people injured after a tsunami hit beaches around the Sunda Strait in Indonesia Saturday night. Officials with the National Disaster Agency believe the tsunami was triggered by a series of underwater landslides that were caused by an eruption of Mount Krakatoa and high tides. 

Some 558 houses, 60 restaurants and 350 boats were destroyed according to Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, the national disaster spokesman for Indonesia. At least 30 people have been reported missing he added. 

One man who was taking photographs of the nearby volcano, Øystein Lund Andersen, described seeing the tsunami hit in a post on Facebook. 

"I had to run, as the wave passed the beach and landed 15-20m inland," Andersen writes. "Next wave entered the hotel area where i was staying and downed cars on the road behind it."

Andersen says he and his family managed to escape by getting to higher ground by taking paths through the forests and villages where they were taken care of by locals. 

"So encountered my first tsunami it seems, hopefully my last... 😖" Andersen wrote. 


The Sunda Strait lies between the islands of Java and Sumatra, and connects the Java Sea to the Indian Ocean. 

Nugroho said the wave hit beaches around South Sumatra and the western tip of Java around 9:30 p.m. local time. He also shared video of the aftermath of the tsunami on his Twitter account, which showed flooded streets and an overturned car. 

At least 832 people were killed by a devastating 7.4 earthquake and tsunami that hit the city of Palu on the island of Sulawesi, last September. Indonesia is prone to earthquakes and volcanoes due to its position on the infamous Pacific "Ring of Fire," which is an arc of volcanoes and fault lines that make it up. 


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