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Indonesia's Sunda Strait tsunami death toll reaches 429

The death toll from the tsunami that hit coastal areas of Indonesia's Java and Sumatra islands has reached 429, with almost 1,500 injured and 154 missing, an official said Tuesday.

Anadolu Agency WORLD
Published December 25,2018
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The death toll from Saturday's tsunami on Indonesia's Sunda Strait has climbed to 429, according to the national disaster agency on Tuesday.

Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, the spokesman of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNDP), said in a press conference that the number of injured topped 1,485 in the tsunami -- likely to have been triggered by a volcanic eruption.

At least 154 people are still missing, and 16,082 others are displaced, Nugroho added.

The government agency also released a list of properties damaged by waves, namely 882 housing units, 73 lodgings, 60 stalls and 434 boats and ships.

"This is the temporary data," Nugroho told to reporters.

Pandeglang, Serang, South Lampung, Tanggamus and Pesawaran areas in Banten and Lampung provinces are the five districts hit by the tsunami.

As tourist destinations of Indonesia, the areas were filled with tourists at the time of the accident.

Meanwhile, authorities warned coastal residents near Indonesia's Anak Krakatau volcano that another tsunami could strike the region.

The warning to the Tanjung Lesung resort followed volcanic eruptions, generating waves.

Authorities asked residents to stay away from beaches and rescue workers to halt their work at the site.

Indonesia lies within the Pacific Ocean's "Ring of Fire," where tectonic plates collide and cause frequent seismic and volcanic activity.

Last September, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck the country's Sulawesi Island, which triggered a tsunami in the cities of Donggala and Palu that towered up to 10 feet (3 meters) high, killing over 2,000 people.

On Dec. 26, 2004, a magnitude 9.1 earthquake struck the eastern coast of Sumatra, triggering a tsunami that killed around 230,000 people as it tore along the coasts of Sri Lanka, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand.

In 2018, 1,999 natural disasters hit Indonesia by Oct. 25, according to the BNDP.