Indonesia Tsunami: At Least 281 People Killed, Thousand Injured in Java and Sumatra After Volcanic Eruption (VIDEO)

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Coastal residents near Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau volcano have been warned to keep away from beaches due to fears it could trigger a new tsunami.

Deadly tsunami

On Saturday, giant waves crashed into coastal towns on the islands of Sumatra and Java, killing at least 281 people and injuring 1,016.

It is thought that volcanic activity set off undersea landslides which in turn generated the killer waves.

ERUPTION: Footage shows Anak Karakatau erupting on the Krakatoa island chain, which is believed to have triggered a deadly tsunami in Indonesia that has claimed more than 200 lives, and injuring more than 800 others. https://t.co/SBKlq4FAkG pic.twitter.com/tHlFGrQxnE

— ABC News (@ABC) December 23, 2018

At least 558 houses were destroyed, while nine hotels, 60 restaurants and 350 boats were heavily damaged, an indication of the tsunami’s impact on residential and tourist areas.

The tsunami is believed to have been triggered when the Anak Krakatau volcano erupted in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra, prompting a series of underwater landslides, according to Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geological Agency (BMKG).

When the displaced rock shifted beneath the water’s surface, it “pushed up” the water on top of it, CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar said, and generated the tsunami.

On Monday Mr Sutopo put out a series of tweets explaining why there was no early warning for this tsunami. He said that Indonesia’s early warning system is set up to monitor earthquakes but not undersea landslides and volcanic eruptions, which can also generate deadly waves.

Source: Antara Foto/Reuters

The tsunami struck at 21:30 local time (14:30 GMT) during a local holiday, with few of the warning signals that might have come had it been generated by an earthquake.

A crowd was watching Indonesian pop band Seventeen at a show organized by state-run electric company PLN at the Tanjung Lesun beach resort when the massive wave crashed through the stage and threw it into the audience.

The band’s bass player and manager were killed, lead singer Riefian Fajarsyah said in a tearful video posted on Instagram. Three other members of Seventeen and Fajarsyah’s wife – whose birthday is Sunday – are still missing, he said.