CARITA, INDONESIA: Indonesia’s tsunami is believed to be triggered by a volcanic eruption on Saturday night.
The death toll has climbed to 281, with 843 others injured and 28 missing, according to Indonesia’s disaster management agency.
The agency added that the numbers of victims and damage may rise as all affected areas have not been reached yet.
Banten province’s coastal communities of Carita and Serang witnessed massive destruction.
Houses were collapsed and cars smashed up on piles of rubble.
The tsunami was caused a volcano known as the “child” of Krakatoa erupted in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra islands.
According to geophysics agency of Indonesia, the volcano erupted about 24 minutes before the tsunami.
The International Tsunami Information Centre told it is relatively rare that volcanic eruptions triggered tsunamis, which is caused by “slope failure” or the sudden displacement of water.
Recently, an earthquake and tsunami in the city of Palu on Sulawesi Island in September killed thousands of people.
-Harleen Sandhu
