Tsunami hits Indonesian islands of Java, Sumatra

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Dramatic moment stage collapses at concert as tsunami hits Indonesian beaches. The band Seventeen was playing a set when the tsunami struck (moments before wave hit pictured), and members of the band are now reported missing.

This is the terrifying moment the volcanic tsunami that left at least 168 dead and 600 injured tore through an Indonesian pop music concert late on Saturday night. The 16 foot high wave hit beaches around the Sunda Strait, between the islands of Java and Sumatra, late on Saturday night at about 9.30 pm local time, destroying 430 houses, nine hotels and 10 ships, after Krakatoa erupted. The band Seventeen were playing a set at Tanjung Lesung Beach Resort, in the province of Banten, in the Strait, when the wall of water hit.

Footage from the crowd shows dozens of people sitting at tables enjoying the concert. Suddenly, the stage collapsed and people were heard screaming as they fled the oncoming wave, which swallowed the band on stage in a split second. Members of the band have now been reported missing by their lead singer.

Following the tsunami, the group's lead singer Riefian Fajarsyah posted on Instagram asking for prayers. 'We lost our bassist, Bani and our manager Oki,' he said tearfully in an accompanying video.

At least 168 people were killed in the tsunami, triggered by the volcanic eruption. The country's Disaster Mitigation Agency confirmed around 600 people have been injured. A further 20 people are believed to be missing.

A tsunami alert was issued and people in low-lying areas fled to higher ground. Indonesian officials believe the tsunami was caused by an eruption on nearby Krakatoa, which has been spewing volcanic ash into the air. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has been monitoring the situation and has issued a red warning to airline pilots operating in the region that an ash cloud is spreading south west from the volcano to an altitude of 55,000 feet.

It is believed the tsunami was caused by an undersea landslide following the eruption of the Krakatoa volcano. The wave hit beaches on the Sunda Strait - between the islands of Java and Sumatra. Indonesian authorities said 430 houses have been badly damaged as well as nine hotels. The wave also badly damaged ten ships with dozens others needing repair.

In September, at least 832 people were killed by a quake and tsunami that hit the city of Palu on the island of Sulawesi, which is just east of Borneo.

A volcanic eruption in Krakatoa in 1883 was one of the deadliest in recorded history killing more than 36,000 people. A video circulating on Twitter shows a two-foot high wave washing ashore. Later photographs show cars overturned and buildings destroyed.

However, local media said Indonesian authorities warned coastal areas could be hit by 7 foot high waves. The Meteorology and Geophysics agency in a separate statement said it could have been caused by undersea landslides from the eruption of Anak Krakatau, a volcanic island formed over years from the nearby Krakatau volcano. It also cited tidal waves caused by the full moon. The number of victims is likely to increase because not all affected areas have been assessed, said disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/22/asia/...sia/index.html