Indonesian government workers and volunteers yesterday searched debris-strewn beaches for survivors and bodies, while families tried to identify their loved ones and grieved for the dead after a nighttime tsunami struck without warning, killing more than 280 people.
The waves that swept terrified locals and tourists into the sea on Saturday night along the Sunda Strait followed an eruption and apparent landslide on Anak Krakatoa, or “Child of Krakatoa,” one of the world’s most infamous volcanic islands.
Indonesian National Agency for Disaster Management spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said that as of yesterday morning, 281 deaths had been confirmed and at least 1,016 people were injured.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Dozens remained missing from the disaster areas along the coastlines of western Java and southern Sumatra islands, and the numbers could increase once authorities hear from all stricken areas.
The Indonesian Medical Association of the worst-affected Banten region said that it sent doctors, medical supplies and equipment, and that many of the injured were in need of neuro and orthopedic surgery.
It said that most patients are domestic tourists who were visiting beaches during the long weekend ahead of Christmas.
It was the second deadly tsunami to hit seismically active Indonesia this year. A powerful earthquake triggered a tsunami that hit Sulawesi Island in September, giving residents a brief warning before the waves struck.
The worst-affected area was the Pandeglang region of Java’s Banten Province, which encompasses Ujung Kulon National Park and popular beaches, the disaster agency said.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo arrived at the disaster area by helicopter. On Sunday, he expressed his sympathy and ordered government agencies to respond quickly to the disaster.
In the city of Bandar Lampung on Sumatra island, hundreds of residents took refuge at the governor’s office, while at the popular resort area of Anyer beach on Java, some survivors wandered in the debris.
Yellow, orange and black body bags were laid out, and weeping relatives identified the dead.
Scientists, including those from the Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency, said the tsunami could have been caused by landslides — either above ground or under the water — on the steep slope of the erupting volcano. The scientists also cited tidal waves caused by the full moon.
The 305m-high Anak Krakatoa lies on an island in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra islands, linking the Indian Ocean and the Java Sea. It has been erupting since June and did so again about 24 minutes before the tsunami, the geophysics agency said.
The volcanic island formed over years after the 1883 eruption of the Krakatoa volcano, one of the largest, most devastating in recorded history. That disaster killed more than 30,000 people, launched far-reaching tsunamis and created so much ash that day was turned to night in the area and a global temperature drop was recorded.
Most of the island sank into a volcanic crater under the sea and the area remained calm until the 1920s, when Anak Krakatoa began to rise from the site. It continues to grow each year and erupts periodically.
Gegar Prasetya, cofounder of the Tsunami Research Center Indonesia, said that Saturday’s tsunami was likely caused by a flank collapse — when a big section of a volcano’s slope gives way.
It is possible for an eruption to trigger a landslide above ground or beneath the ocean, both capable of producing waves, he said.
“Actually, the tsunami was not really big, only 1m,” Prasetya said. “The problem is people always tend to build everything close to the shoreline.”
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source
SHOT IN THE ARM: The new system can be integrated with Avenger and Stinger missiles to bolster regional air defense capabilities, a defense ministry report said Domestically developed Land Sword II (陸射劍二) missiles were successfully launched and hit target drones during a live-fire exercise at the Jiupeng Military Base in Pingtung County yesterday. The missiles, developed by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST), were originally scheduled to launch on Tuesday last week, after the Tomb Sweeping Day holiday long weekend, but were postponed to yesterday due to weather conditions. Local residents and military enthusiasts gathered outside the base to watch the missile tests, with the first one launching at 9:10am. The Land Sword II system, which is derived from the Sky Sword II (天劍二) series, was turned