An eruption of one of the world’s most infamous volcanic islands is believed to have triggered a tsunami that killed at least 222 people in Indonesia during a busy holiday weekend.
The waves smashed onto beaches at night without warning, ripping houses and hotels from their foundations in seconds and sweeping terrified concert-goers into the sea.
More than 800 people were injured and dozens more missing after the tsunami hit around the Sunda Strait at 9:27 p.m. Saturday, the Disaster Management Agency said. The number of dead could continue to rise because some areas had not yet been reached.
A spokesperson for Global Affairs said in a statement that consular officials are ready to assist Canadians, if needed.
“Canada is deeply saddened by the tragedy caused by the Sunda Strait tsunami in Indonesia. We offer our sincerest condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed and wish a swift recovery to those injured. We are not aware of any Canadians who have been affected,” the statement read.
In addition, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered his condolences in a Tweet on Sunday and reiterated Canada’s offer to assist.
A very shocking and tragic situation in Indonesia – today we send condolences to everyone affected by the tsunami that caused so much devastation on the Sunda Strait. Canadians’ thoughts are with you & our government is ready to offer assistance if needed.
Scientists, including those from Indonesia’s Meteorology and Geophysics agency, said Sunday that the tsunami could have been caused by underwater landslides or those occurring above ground on volcano Anak Krakatau’s steep slope following its eruption.
The volcano’s name translates to “Child of Krakatoa,” a volcanic island formed over years after one of the largest, most devastating eruptions in recorded history occurred at the Krakatoa volcano more than a century ago. The scientists also cited tidal waves influenced by the full moon.
Concert-goers swept away
Dramatic video posted on social media showed the Indonesian pop band Seventeen performing under a tent on a popular beach at a concert for employees of a state-owned electricity company. Dozens of people sat listening at tables covered in white cloths while others bobbed to the music near the stage as bright strobe lights flashed and theatrical smoke was released.
At least 43 people killed, 584 others wounded, 50 missing as a #tsunami hits Sunda Strait of western #Indonesia #IndonesiaTsunami #India #SriLanka pic.twitter.com/x36VvleeXw
Seconds later, with the drummer pounding just as the next song was about to begin, the stage suddenly heaved forward and buckled under the force of the water, tossing the band and its equipment into the audience.
The group released a statement saying 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.
“The tide rose to the surface and dragged all the people on site,” the statement said. “Unfortunately, when the current receded, our members were unable to save themselves while some did not find a place to hold on.”
Tourists who were enjoying the long holiday weekend ahead of Christmas were also affected.
“I had to run, as the wave passed the beach and landed 15-20 metres inland,” Norwegian Oystein Lund Andersen wrote on Facebook. The self-described photographer and volcano enthusiast said he was taking pictures of the volcano when he suddenly saw the water racing toward him. He and his family fled safely to higher ground.
Volcano triggered tsunami
The Anak Krakatau volcano lies in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra islands, linking the Indian Ocean and Java Sea. It erupted about 24 minutes before the tsunami, the geophysics agency said.
The worst-affected area was the Pandeglang region of Java’s Banten province, which encompasses Ujung Kulon National Park and popular beaches, the disaster agency said.
Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo expressed his sympathy and ordered government agencies to respond quickly to the disaster.
“My deep condolences to the victims in Banten and Lumpung provinces,” he said. “Hopefully, those who are left have patience.”
In the city of Bandar Lampung on Sumatra, hundreds of residents took refuge at the governor’s office, while at the popular resort area of Anyer beach on Java, some survivors appeared lost while wandering.
Azki Kurniawan, 16, said he was undergoing vocational training with a group of 30 other students at Patra Comfort Hotel when people suddenly burst into the lobby yelling, “Sea water rising!”
‘I was afraid I would die’
With his eyes swollen and red from crying, he recalled being confused about what was happening because he did not feel a big earthquake, which usually serves as a warning before a tsunami strikes. He said he ran to the parking lot to try to reach his motorbike. But by the time he got there, it was already flooded.
“Suddenly a one-metre wave hit me,” he said. “I was thrown into the fence of a building about 30 metres from the beach and held onto the fence as strong as I could, trying to resist the water, which felt like it would drag me back into the sea. I cried in fear … `This is a tsunami?’ I was afraid I would die.”
An aerial photo shows damaged buildings in Carita after the area was hit by a tsunami following an eruption of the Anak Krakatoa volcano. (Azwar Ipank/AFP/Getty Images)
The 305-metre-high Anak Krakatau volcano, located about 200 kilometres southwest of Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital, has been erupting since June, sometimes spewing glowing lava and tall columns of ash. In July, authorities widened its no-go areas to two kilometres from the crater.
Gegar Prasetya, co-founder of the Tsunami Research Centre Indonesia, said Saturday’s tsunami was likely caused by a flank collapse — when a big section of a volcano’s slope gives way. He said it’s possible for an eruption to trigger a landslide above ground or beneath the ocean, both capable of producing waves.
Debris littered a property badly damaged by a tsunami in Carita, Indonesia, Sunday, Dec. 23. The tsunami occurred after the eruption of a volcano near Indonesia’s Sunda Strait during a busy holiday weekend, sending water crashing ashore and sweeping away hotels, hundreds of houses and people attending a beach concert. (Fauzy Chaniago/Associated Press)
“Actually, the tsunami was not really big, only one metre,” said Prasetya, who has closely studied Krakatoa. “The problem is people always tend to build everything close to the shoreline.”
In September, more than 2,500 people were killed by an earthquake and tsunami that hit the city of Palu on the island of Sulawesi, east of Borneo.
Saturday’s tsunami also rekindled memories of the massive magnitude 9.1 earthquake that hit Indonesia on Dec. 26, 2004. It spawned a giant tsunami off Sumatra island, killing more than 230,000 people in more than a dozen countries — the majority in Indonesia.
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