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Hundreds dead and injured after tsunami wave hits Indonesia

At least 220 people have been killed and a further 800 injured after a tsunami struck Indonesia. ...
Newstalk
Newstalk

08.37 23 Dec 2018


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Hundreds dead and injured afte...

Hundreds dead and injured after tsunami wave hits Indonesia

Newstalk
Newstalk

08.37 23 Dec 2018


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At least 220 people have been killed and a further 800 injured after a tsunami struck Indonesia.

It was believed to have been caused by a volcanic eruption.

About 745 people were injured after the huge wave crashed into beaches around the Sunda Strait at about 9.30pm local time (2.30pm GMT) on Saturday, officials said.

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The Irish embassy in Jakarta has said it is following events and urged people to follow the advice of local authorities.

However it said it is so far not aware of any Irish citizens affected by the tsunami.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has said anyone with concerns for Irish citizens in the affected region can contact them on (01)-408-2000.

More than 430 homes were severely damaged by the tsunami, which is said to have reached 10ft high.

It is believed the waves were caused by an eruption of Anak Krakatau, the active cone that arose after the infamous Krakatoa eruption of 1883 that left tens of thousands dead and cut world temperatures for years.

Indonesia's meteorology and geophysics agency said it is likely to have been triggered by underwater landslides.

This image made from video shows Anak Krakatau volcano erupting in Indonesia. A tsunami apparently caused by the eruption hit the coast around Indonesia's Sunda Strait | Image: AP/Press Association Images

Anak Krakatau is one of 127 active volcanoes which run the length of the archipelago.

Scientists also suggested tidal waves caused by the full moon may have contributed.

A Norwegian tourist Oystein Lund Andersen said he and his family were taking photos of a volcano when a huge wave came towards them.

"I had to run, as the wave passed the beach and landed 15-20 (metres) inland," he said.

"(The) next wave entered the hotel area where I was staying and downed cars on the road behind it.

"Managed to evacuate with my family to higher ground through forest paths and villages, where we are taken care of (by) the locals. We're unharmed, thankfully."

A villager walks past a car damaged by a tsunami, in Carita, Indonesia | Image: Dian Triyuli Handoko/AP/Press Association Images

Members of a pop band who were performing on a beach are among those who have lost their lives.

The bass player of 'Seventeen' is understood to be dead, with at least one other member of the band and two members of their entourage missing, after a huge wave engulfed the stage they were playing on.

Video footage showed dozens of people watching the act in a marquee at a beach resort on the western tip of the Indonesian island of Java before the giant wave hit.

The band were finishing a song when the stage suddenly appeared to vanish, consumed by water, and members of the audience screamed.

The band's singer Riefian Fajarsyah posted on social media on Sunday to say his wife and the band's drummer were still missing, and paid tribute to his bassist and the band's manager, who had died.

Indonesia - one of the most disaster-prone nations on earth - straddles the Pacific Ring of Fire where tectonic plates collide, resulting in a large portion of the world's volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.

In September, more than 2,000 people were killed by a quake and tsunami that hit the Indonesian city of Palu on the island of Sulawesi, which is just east of Borneo.

Residents inspect a house damaged by a tsunami, in Carita, Indonesia | Image: AP/Press Association Images

A 9.1-magnitude earthquake off Indonesia's western coast on St Stephen's Day in 2004 triggered a series of huge waves in the Indian Ocean, causing the deaths of around 230,000 people.

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

Additional reporting: Jack Quann


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