At least 168 people die in Indonesia tsunami

Hanoi (VNA) – A tsunami following a volcanic eruption in Indonesia claimed at least 168 lives, said local authorities on December 23.
Representative of the Indonesian national disaster mitigation
agency said 745 people were wounded and 30 others remain missing.
Dozens of buildings were destroyed by the wave, which hit beaches
in South Sumatra and the western tip of Java about 9.30 pm local time on
December 22, following a volcano eruption.
The same day, authorities warned residents and tourists in coastal
areas around the Sunda Strait to stay away from beaches and a high-tide warning
remained in place through till December 25.
Head of Indonesian meteorological
agency Rahmat Triyono urged those who
have evacuated to not return yet.
Meanwhile, authorised agencies are gathering information on the
disaster, adding that the number of casualties is likely to rise considering
not all places have been checked.
Initial estimates showed that about 430 houses were destroyed and nine
hotels were heavily damaged.
The disaster caused severe impacts to areas surrounding Sunda
Strait, including beaches in Pangegland, Serang and South Lampung.
Authorities say the tsunami may have been triggered by
an abnormal tidal surge due to a new moon and an underwater landslide following
the eruption of Anak Krakatoa, which forms a small island in the Sunda Strait
between Java and Sumatra.
Indonesia, one of the most disaster-prone nations on
earth, straddles the so-called Pacific 'Ring of Fire', where tectonic plates
collide and a large portion of the world's volcanic eruptions and earthquakes
occur.
Anak Krakatoa is one of 127 active volcanoes which run the length
of the archipelago.
In 2004, a tsunami triggered by a magnitude 9.3 undersea
earthquake off the coast of Sumatra in western Indonesia killed 220,000 people
in countries around the Indian Ocean, including 168,000 in Indonesia.
In September this year, in the city of Palu on
Sulawesi island, a quake and tsunami killed more than 2,000 of people, while
5,000 people went missing and 9,000 had to leave their home. -VNA