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INDONESIA Tsunami Kills About 400 Hundred after Krakatau Eruption

RESCUE and relief operations have been undertaken after at least 373 people are confirmed died from a tsunami that struck the Indonesian coastline without warning on Saturday night. Hundreds more are injured and more than two dozen remain missing, say authorities .More deadly tsunamis could strike the Indonesian coastline in the coming days..The volcano that triggered the weekend’s devastating wave continues to erupt. There was no warning of the giant waves which struck at night, destroying hundreds of buildings, sweeping away cars and uprooting trees, says CNN. It is thought undersea landslides from the Anak Krakatau volcano caused them. President Joko Widodo has expressed his sorrow for the victims and urged people to be patient. Rescue efforts are being hampered by blocked roads but heavy lifting equipment is being transported to badly hit areas to help search for victims. The Sunda Strait, between the islands of Java and Sumatra, connects the Java Sea to the Indian Ocean.BBC says the disaster management agency has warned people to stay away from the coastline due to fears of another tsunami. Saturday’s tsunami struck at about 21:30 local time (14:30 GMT), during a local holiday. It hit several popular tourist destinations including the Tanjung Lesung beach resort in the west of Java island.BBC says footage shared on social media showed a large wave crashing into a tent in the resort, in which popular Indonesian rock band Seventeen was performing. Members of the band were seen being swept away as the wave destroyed the stage. In a tearful Instagram video, singer Riefian Fajarsyah said the band’s bassist and road manager had died, and three other band members and his own wife were missing. Red Cross official Kathy Mueller told the BBC: “There is debris littering the ground, crushed cars, crushed motorcycles, we’re seeing buildings that are collapsed.”It appears that the main road into Pandeglang has been badly damaged, making it difficult for rescuers to reach the area, she added. Eyewitness Asep Perangkat said cars and containers had been dragged about 10 metres (32 feet). The tsunami that struck Indonesia’s Sunda Strait on Saturday night was the latest in a series of disasters in the vast archipelago nation this year. Other tragedies have included earthquakes that flattened parts of the tourist island of Lombok, and an earthquake and tsunami that killed thousands on Sulawesi Island. Nearly 200 people died when a Lion Air passenger plane crashed into the Java Sea in October.

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