The tsunami which hit Indonesia on Saturday evening was the result of volcanic activity in the Anak Krakatoa (child of Mount Krakatoa) island located 34 miles off the Indonesian coast. At least 168 people have been reported dead with “many missing” after the tidal wave struck the beaches of the Sunda Strait filled with locals and tourists. Footage recorded in the area the tsunami hit captured the harrowing aftermath of the wave bringing down homes and businesses in its devastating path.
Piles of debris can be seen littering the seafront, with the tidal wave appearing to have brought down several houses near the beach.
The Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) said the wave was not caused by an earthquake but was the result of volcanic activity at Anak Krakatoa (child of Mount Krakatoa), which triggered an underwater landslide.
The sudden movement of hot magma can cause underwater landslides, which in turn trigger a tsunami. The eruption threw volcanic ash up to 500 meters into the air.
Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, an Indonesian civil servant and head of public relations at the Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management speculated the “cause of the tsunami in Pandeglang and South Lampung is possibly a combination of underwater landslides due to the influence of the eruption of Anak Krakatoa (child of Mount Krakatoa) and the high tides caused by the full moon”.
READ MORE: ‘VOLCANO TSUNAMI’ strikes Indonesia leaving at least 168 dead and hundreds more injured
Mr Nugroho revealed 430 homes had been damaged, nine hotels were “severely damaged” and 10 ships were “severely damaged”.
Entire communities appear to have been destroyed by the huge wave. At the time of writing “many” individuals were still missing.
Endan Permana, head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency in Pandeglang, told Metro TV police were providing immediate assistance to victims in Tanjung Lesung in Banten province, a popular tourist getaway not far from Jakarta, as emergency workers had not arrived in the area yet.
Mr Permana said: “Many are missing.”
The deaths from the tsunami were reported in the Pandeglang, South Lampung and Serang regions.
Emergency officials are now investigating whether the tsunami was caused by Anak Krakatoa, a volcanic island in the Sunda Strait.
Rahmat Triyono, head of the meteorological agency, said: “Please do not be around the beaches around the Sunda Strait. Those who have evacuated, please do not return yet.”
Indonesia sits on the dangerous Ring of Fire, a girdle of volcanos that circle the Pacific Ocean. The Ring of Fire formed when ocean plates crashed and slid under lighter continental plates, in a process known as subduction.
There are 452 volcanoes based in the 25,000-mile ring. Around 90 percent of the world’s earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire since records began, which increases the risk for tidal waves such as the one which Indonesia.
The recent increase in seismic activity has caused scientists to warn that a ‘Big’ earthquake could soon hit. The majority of these have been below a magnitude of 4, however, Indonesia, Canada, Chile and California have all experienced quakes over magnitude 4.