Indonesia tsunami caused by volcano eruption
- 5 years ago
SUNDA STRAIT, INDONESIA — The tsunami killed at least 373 people and severely damaged infrastructure.
A tsunami struck coastal towns on the islands of Sumatra and Java, Indonesia on Saturday.
The tsunami was caused by an eruption from Anak Krakatau, a volcanic island that sits in the Pacific "Ring of Fire" in the Sunda Strait.
According to Reuters, the eruption caused a 64-hectare portion of the volcano to collapse into the ocean triggering an underwater landslide that would set off the tsunami.
No warning system was triggered at the time of the tsunami. Indonesian officials stated that their tsunami buoy network has not been operational since 2012.
According to The Guardian, if a buoy network had been installed around Anak Krakatao, it would have given surrounding towns a maximum of a one-to-two minute warning ahead of pending waves."
The tsunami demolished over 700 buildings and left hundreds dead or missing just 24 hours after the volcanic landslide.
Anak Krakatao is one of 76 active volcanoes in Indonesia.
A tsunami struck coastal towns on the islands of Sumatra and Java, Indonesia on Saturday.
The tsunami was caused by an eruption from Anak Krakatau, a volcanic island that sits in the Pacific "Ring of Fire" in the Sunda Strait.
According to Reuters, the eruption caused a 64-hectare portion of the volcano to collapse into the ocean triggering an underwater landslide that would set off the tsunami.
No warning system was triggered at the time of the tsunami. Indonesian officials stated that their tsunami buoy network has not been operational since 2012.
According to The Guardian, if a buoy network had been installed around Anak Krakatao, it would have given surrounding towns a maximum of a one-to-two minute warning ahead of pending waves."
The tsunami demolished over 700 buildings and left hundreds dead or missing just 24 hours after the volcanic landslide.
Anak Krakatao is one of 76 active volcanoes in Indonesia.