A tsunami that struck Indonesian coastlines without warning Saturday night killed at least 281 people, left hundreds injured and more than two dozen missing, officials said. Eyewitnesses described fleeing for their lives as homes along the beach were swept away in the tsunami, which is thought to have been caused by underwater landslides following the volcanic eruption of Krakatoa. An official warned Sunday that as long as the volcano remains active, more tsunamis are possible.
According to local media, the wave reached as high as three meters (10 feet). A crowd was watching Indonesian pop band Seventeen at a show organized by state-run electric company PLN at the Tanjung Lesun beach resort when the massive wave crashed through the stage and threw it into the audience. The band’s bass player and manager were killed, lead singer Riefian Fajarsyah said in a tearful video posted on Instagram. Three other members of Seventeen and Fajarsyah’s wife—whose birthday is Sunday—are still missing, he said.
According to Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, head of public relations at Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency, 843 people were injured and another 28 are still missing. At least 558 houses were destroyed, while nine hotels, 60 restaurants and 350 boats were heavily damaged, an indication of the tsunami’s impact on residential and tourist areas. No foreigners had been reported killed or injured.
Nugroho warned Sunday that the threat might not be over. “Krakatoa continues to erupt, and there remains a possibility that it could bring another tsunami,” Nugroho said in an interview with Kompas TV. “We are cautioning people to remain cautious,” Nugroho said. “Agencies are still continuing to analyze the root cause.”
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