In Indonesia, at least 281 people have died in a tsunami which was triggered by a volcano eruption. More than a 1000 people have been injured, said that country’s national disaster agency as the search for survivors continues.
“The number of victims and damage will continue to rise,” agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, told AFP.
Hundreds of buildings were destroyed by the wave, which slammed into the coast of southern Sumatra and the western tip of Java about 9:30 pm (1430 GMT) on Saturday after a volcano known as the “child” of Krakatoa erupted.
According to Indonesia’s geological agency, Anak Krakatoa had been showing signs of heightened activity for days, spewing plumes of ash thousands of metres into the air.
The vast archipelago nation is one of the most disaster-prone nations on Earth due to its position straddling the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic plates collide.
Most recently in the city of Palu on Sulawesi island a quake and tsunami in September killed thousands of people.
