Scenes of devastation along the coast after the Indonesian tsunami
A tsunami caused by a volcanic eruption killed more than 200 people and injured more than 800, flattening several coastal towns in Indonesia.
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| The second tsunami in three months has destroyed many houses in Indonesia, killing 222 people and injuring more than 800. The Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency said the tsunami was not caused by an earthquake but by the eruption of the Anak Krakatau volcano. According to initial information, the Anak Krakatau volcano erupted about 24 minutes before the tsunami occurred. |
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| More than 400 homes, nine hotels and several boats were destroyed after waves hit beaches around the Sunda Strait, in South Sumatra and the western tip of Java island at 9:27 p.m. on December 22. The Sunda Strait lies between the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra, about 100 kilometers from Jakarta, connecting the Java Sea with the Indian Ocean. |
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| A woman returns to collect her belongings in Carita town after the tsunami. |
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| Coastal homes are destroyed after a tsunami measuring about 0.9 meters (3 feet) high swept through. "The tsunami was not really that big, only about a meter high," said Gegar Prasetya, an official at the Indonesian Tsunami Research Center. "The problem is that people like to build their houses near the coast." |
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| This is the second tsunami in less than three months in Indonesia. In late September, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake and tsunami hit the coast of Palu city, Sulawesi province, killing more than 2,000 people and causing economic damage of about 1.2 billion USD. |
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| Military forces collect the bodies of victims in the town of Carita on December 23. Indonesian authorities later admitted to being confused in announcing the tsunami, because the disaster was not caused by an earthquake as usual. |
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| A resident stands in front of rubble in the coastal town of Anyer, Banten, Indonesia. |
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| People search and identify relatives in body bags in the town of Carita. |
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| A man cries after identifying a relative. |
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| Rescuers are evacuating affected residents, providing clean water, tents and temporary shelter for survivors. Authorities are also preparing for the possibility of disease outbreaks in areas hit by the tsunami. |
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| "222 people have died, 843 people were injured and 28 people are missing. This number will increase because many victims were not evacuated, medical centers have not reported the number of people being treated and many areas do not have complete statistics,"AFPquoted a spokesman for the Indonesian Disaster Mitigation Agency on December 23. |