On December 23, a large-scale tsunami was encountered in Bantan Beach, Indonesia, which has killed at least 227 people, seriously injured 900 people, 289 people were slightly injured, and another 430 people were missing. There are currently no reports of casualties of non-Indonesian citizens. Indonesia Red Cross said the death toll is expected to continue to rise.
rescue team carried the bodies of the victims.
The destroyed buildings can be seen in the footage taken by the plane.
Residents rescue property as much as possible in a washed-up house.
Survivors live in temporary shelters.
Witnesses described the tsunami scene as the seaside residences and cars were destroyed and washed away, and the number was uprooted. It is reported that at least 558 houses have been destroyed, 9 hotels, 60 restaurants and 350 ships have been severely damaged, and local residential areas and tourist areas have been severely affected.
At that time, there was a group of audience watching the performance at the beach resort. The Indonesian pop band "Seventeen" sang in a performance organized by a state-owned power company. Huge waves surged onto the stage and the entire stage was washed away. The band's lead singer then posted a video on the social homepage, telling the audience with tears in their eyes that the band manager and bassist were killed, and three other members and the lead singer's wife were missing. The day of the tsunami happened to be the lead singer's wife's birthday.
A man recognized the body of his relative.
More people identify their relatives in the remains.
tsunami occurred without any warning at all. It is currently believed that the cause of this tsunami was the eruption of the Krakatoa volcano, causing a landslide underwater. In addition, the tides caused by the full moon also exacerbated the impact of the tsunami. Experts pointed out that tsunamis are more difficult to predict than disaster weather such as storms. In the past, people thought that earthquakes would trigger tsunamis, but no earthquake occurred on the 23rd. "That's why there was no early warning."
The car destroyed by the tsunami.
Rescue team is still searching for more victims.
A spokesperson for the Indonesian disaster agency said that the initial report did not identify signs of tsunami and believed that it was just a tidal surge. The spokesperson apologized for the wrong judgment, emphasizing that this was a misjudgment caused by no earthquake. Experts believe that tsunamis caused by volcanoes will not cause seawater to recede like earthquakes and tsunamis. Even if there is an early warning buoy near the volcano at that time, the early warning time will be very short and there will be no time to take any action.
Krakato volcano erupted last Friday for 2 minutes and 12 seconds, forming a volcanic ash cloud as high as 400 meters, throwing millions of tons of rock debris into the sea. The Krakato volcano is still not completely still. Indonesian officials warned on Sunday that more tsunamis could occur as long as volcanic activities do not stop. Indonesian Krakato volcano erupted in 1883 and was one of the most deadly volcanic disasters in history, killing more than 36,000 people at that time. Indonesia, located in the Pacific Rim volcanic earthquake zone, is a country with frequent volcanic tsunami disasters. There was a tsunami in 2004, killing 228,000 people. A strong earthquake occurred in central Indonesian Sulawesi in September this year, causing a tsunami, killing more than 2,000 people. But Indonesia still does not have enough equipment and technology to achieve tsunami warning.
The destroyed house is surrounded by brick and tile debris.
The next day of the tsunami, the local residential areas were devastated.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo expressed condolences to the victims and urged people to remain patient. US President Trump posted on Twitter saying, "The Indonesian tsunami disaster has caused unimaginable damage... We pray for reconstruction and rehabilitation. The United States is with you!" In addition, the United Nations World Food Program also stated that the department is ready to provide support to the Indonesian government at any time.
Currently, the roads in the disaster area are blocked, which has brought serious difficulties to the rescue work. Relevant departments are transporting heavy lifting equipment to the disaster area to help search for more victims. Experts warn residents to stay away from the shore and not to engage in any activities on the beach.
