Over 200 people killed and 840 injured by tsunami in Indonesia

By Rodolfo Vieira

Dec 23, 2018

03:55 P.M.

Indonesia was hit by a tsunami reportedly caused by the eruption of an island volcano that has been active for months.

The natural disaster took place in Sunda Strait on Saturday, December 22, 2018, and, as of now, 222 people have lost their lives and 840 have been injured.

As can be seen in one of the videos being shared online, the waters devastated the land as they swept away hotels, hundreds of houses and vehicles.

NUMBER OF VICTIMS MAY BE HIGHER

According to the Disaster Management Agency, 28 people are still missing and the toll is expected to rise since the emergency services haven't been able to reach some areas.

"It erupted almost half an hour before the tsunami swept the land."

Officials believe that there were no foreigners among the casualties and, aside from several houses, around 350 boats were damaged by the raging waters.

WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED

Scientists from Indonesia's Meteorology and Geophysics agency shared that the natural disaster was most likely caused by undersea landslides, or even on the volcano's steep outside slope.

The volcano, known as Anak Krakatau, meaning "Child of Krakatoa," has formed over the years ever since one the largest eruptions in history took place on the island more than a century ago.

A FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE

It is located about 124 miles of capital Jakarta, between the Java and Sumatra islands, and has been erupting since June. On Saturday, it erupted almost half an hour before the tsunami swept the land.

Tourists in the area were forced to flee to higher ground through the forests and President Joko Widodo already sent his condolences to the families of the victims in the Banten and Lampung provinces.

SHOCKING FOOTAGE

At the moment, there are several videos online showing the devastation caused by the tsunami, but probably the most frightening is the one depicting a band on stage being hit by the raging waters.

The band, named Seventeen, was performing on stage at Tanjung Lesung beach when the waters crashed the stage and washed everything away, including four band members who lost their lives in the process.