Indonesia tsunami death toll rises to 281
The death toll from the Indonesian tsunami has risen to more than 280. More than a thousand people are injured and at least 50 are missing. Experts have warned that another tsunami could be on the way.
The death toll from the tsunami in Indonesia has risen to 281. More than a thousand people have been injured in the natural disaster, and the fate of at least 50 people is unknown.
Indonesia's disaster agency says the death toll and damage could rise, while experts warn of another tsunami as rescuers continue to search for those still trapped under the rubble.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo will visit the scene of the incident on Monday, December 24, to closely monitor the situation.
On Saturday evening local time, a volcanic eruption on the small island of Anak Krakatoa triggered a tsunami in the Sunda Strait, affecting southern Sumatra and western Java, destroying hundreds of buildings.
The cause of this tsunami, whose waves reached a height of 90 centimeters, was a landslide on the seabed that occurred after the eruption of a volcano located between Java and Sumatra.
Experts have warned that until the Anak Krakatoa volcano stops erupting, the possibility of another tsunami remains high, as this activity could trigger another landslide on the seabed.
Indonesia has seen tsunamis many times, but these natural disasters are often caused by earthquakes on the seabed, and tsunamis caused by volcanoes are rare.
In late September, a powerful earthquake triggered a tsunami on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, killing more than 2,000 people. The tsunami that struck on Christmas Day 2004 was particularly devastating, killing an estimated 220,000 people along the Indian Ocean coast. 168,000 of the victims were in Indonesia. It was also caused by a 9.1 magnitude earthquake.
Source: DW
