Carita: The Latest on a tsunami that hit the coast around Indonesia’s Sunda Strait:
5:10 p.m.
Pope Francis has prayed for the dead, the missing and the homeless in the tsunami that struck Indonesia.
Francis told tourists and pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday that his thoughts were with Indonesia’s people, “struck by violent natural calamities,” and said he was spiritually close to those left homeless or otherwise suffering.
At least 222 people were killed by the tsunami, which swamped hotels, houses and concertgoers at a beachside venue in the Southeast Asian nation.
The pope also appealed for people to show solidarity, and for the international community to lend support, for those affected by the disaster.
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4:25 p.m.
Indonesia’s disaster management agency says the death toll from a tsunami believed to be triggered by a volcanic eruption has climbed to 222, with 843 others injured and 28 missing.
Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho says those numbers may still rise since not all affected areas have been reached.
The volcano that erupted Saturday night lies in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra islands, linking the Indian Ocean and Java Sea. It erupted about 24 minutes before the tsunami, according to Indonesia’s geophysics agency.
Scientists said Sunday that the tsunami could have been caused by undersea landslides or those occurring above sea level on the volcano’s steep outside slope following the eruption.
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1:55 p.m.
Indonesia’s disaster management agency says the Saturday evening tsunami has left at least 168 dead, 745 injured and 30 missing.
Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho says those numbers may still rise since not all affected areas have been reached.
The worst affected area was the Pandeglang region of Banten province in Java, which encompasses the Ujung Kulon National Park and popular beaches southwest of the capital, Jakarta.
Scientists say the tsunami was probably caused by the eruption of Anak Krakatau, a volcanic island formed over years from the nearby Krakatau volcano. They also cited tidal waves caused by the full moon.
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11:45 a.m.
Australia and New Zealand say they have no information their citizens were among victims of a tsunami that killed at least 62 people around Indonesia’s Sunda Strait.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters on Sunday, “We understand that at present there are no foreigners, let alone Australians, who have been impacted by this.”
A spokesperson for Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade says the Australian Embassy in Jakarta is continuing to make “urgent inquiries” to determine whether any Australians were affected.
New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade says 299 New Zealanders are registered as being in Indonesia. A spokesperson says the New Zealand Embassy in Jakarta is in touch with local authorities.
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11:25 a.m.
A spokesman for Indonesia’s disaster management agency says at least 62 people have died and 20 are still missing after a tsunami apparently triggered by a volcanic eruption swept away beachfront houses and hotels in western Indonesia.
Footage posted on social media showed a pop band named “Seventeen” performing under a tent on a beach as dozens of people sat listening at tables. Then, in between songs with the drummer pounding, the stage suddenly heaved forward, throwing the band and all their equipment into the audience.
The band released a statement saying their bass player and road manager were found dead, while four other members of their group remained missing.
The worst affected area is the Pandeglang region of Banten province in Java, which encompasses the Ujung Kulon National Park and popular beaches. In the city of Bandar Lampung on southern Sumatra, hundreds of residents took refuge at the governor’s office.
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8:35 a.m.
Indonesia’s disaster management agency says the death toll from a tsunami apparently caused by undersea landslides from a volcanic eruption has risen to 43 with some 600 injured.
Scientists say the tsunami could have been caused by the eruption of Anak Krakatau, a volcanic island formed over years from the nearby Krakatau volcano. They also cited tidal waves caused by the full moon.
The areas that were affected were South Lampung in Sumatra and the Serang and Pandeglang regions of Java, west of the capital Jakarta. The Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra connects the Java Sea to the Indian Ocean.
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7:05 a.m.
A man who says he and his family survived the tsunami that hit the coast around Indonesia’s Sunda Strait says he was taking pictures of a volcano Saturday night when he suddenly saw a big wave come toward him.
“I had to run, as the wave passed the beach and landed 15-20m (meters) inland,” Øystein Lund Andersen writes on Facebook. “Next wave entered the hotel area where i was staying and downed cars on the road behind it. Managed to evacuate with my family to higher ground trough forest paths and villages, where we are taken care of (by) the locals. Were unharmed, thankfully.”
Anderson writes that authorities are saying it appears to be a tsunami caused by a volcanic eruption that he was photographing.
“So encountered my first tsunami it seems, hopefully my last,” Anderson writes.
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6:45 a.m.
Government officials say that at least 20 people were killed after a tsunami hit the coast around Indonesia’s Sunda Strait, the BBC reports.
The national disaster management agency says 165 people were hurt and dozens of buildings were damaged Saturday night, according to the BBC.
The agency says the possible cause of the tsunami were undersea landslides after the Krakatoa volcano erupted.
The Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra connects the Java Sea to the Indian Ocean.
The BBC reports that footage posted by the head of the disaster management agency showed the aftermath of the tsunami, with flooded streets and an overturned car.
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.
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