The death toll from a tsunami which struck beaches around Sunda Strait in Indonesia on Saturday night has risen to 168, with another 745 people injured and 30 others remain missing, said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesperson for Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency, on Sunday.
Authorities said the tsunami, which took place at 9:27 p.m. local time (1427 GMT), may have been triggered by “an undersea landslide resulting from volcanic activity on Anak Krakatau” and was exacerbated by an abnormally high tide because of the current full moon.
Pandeglang district of Banten province suffered the most from the tsunami, and other two districts of Serang in the province and Lampung Selatan in Lampung province were also impacted by it.
In the worst-hit area, huge waves rattled residential areas and several tourist destinations along the coastal areas, such as Pantai Tanjung Lesung, Sumur, Penimbang, Teluk Lada dan Carita.
Anak Krakatau, or “Child of Krakatoa,” is a small volcanic island that emerged from the ocean half a century after Krakatoa’s deadly 1883 eruption. The volcano has reportedly increased activity in the last six months.
