At least 222 people have been killed, with hundreds more injured or missing after a tsunami hit the coastline of west Java and Sumatra, Indonesia on Saturday night.
The tsunami comes less than three months after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck Palu on the island of Sulawesi killing 2,256 people. Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, head of public relations at Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency, told CNN that there was no warning before the waves struck the Pandeglang district.
Nugroho said more than 840 people have been injured and at least 25 people are unaccounted for, including members of a male pop band. Video posted on social media showed the Indonesian pop band “Seventeen” performing under a tent on a popular beach for a concert. Seconds later, the stage collapsed under the force of the water. The group released a statement confirming that their bass player, guitarist and road manager were found dead, while two other band members and the wife of one of the performers remained missing.
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CNN reported that the tsunami may have been triggered by a combination of underwater landslides caused by the eruption of the Krakatoa volcano in the Sunda Strait that lies between the islands of Java and Sumatra. The tsunami destroyed at least nine hotels, and 6o restaurants. In addition, more than 550 houses and 350 boats were destroyed, indicating the tsunami hit residential and tourist areas.
As of now, no foreigners are found to have been killed. Indonesian authorities have told tourists and residents to stay away from beaches until Christmas Day, according to the Sunday Express.
“Please do not be around the beaches around the Sunda Strait,” Rahmat Triyono, head of the meteorological agency said. “Those who have evacuated, please do not return yet.”
The worst-affected area was the Pandeglang region of Java’s Banten province, which encompasses Ujung Kulon National Park and popular beaches, as reported by CNBC.