‘Run, a wave is coming!’ – Panic, devastation after tsunami

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LABUAN, Indonesia, Dec 24, (Agencies): Indonesian fisherman Yadi was at his seaside home on the west coast of Java island when he felt a light breeze picking up on Saturday night as hundreds of people milled about in nearby restaurants, enjoying barbecued fish.

Then a surge of seawater swept up the beach, scattering the crowds, flattening buildings, and sending parked cars crunching into trees. At least 281 people were killed in tsunami waves of up to three metres (10 feet) that hit several towns along the rim of the Sunda Strait, between Java and Sumatra islands, triggered by a landslide on the Anak Krakatau volcano. It is the latest in a string of natural disasters to strike Indonesia in 2018, making it the deadliest year in more than a decade. “People said ‘run, run a wave is coming!’. There were three waves in a row,” said Yadi, a middle-aged fisherman who operates a fleet of six vessels that were among dozens that sank or were dragged out to sea by the waves. “There was a real panic. Many people were left behind,” he said, adding that he and his family escaped by running to higher ground.

What’s left behind is a wasteland of collapsed houses and hotels and muddy roads strewn with twisted metal and wood. Thousands of displaced and grieving residents were searching for missing loved ones on Monday and trying to salvage whatever they could of their belongings. Heavy equipment was being used to help with the rescue effort.

Medics were sent in with the military, while groups of police and soldiers searched remote areas. Cici Paramita, 27, was clambering through the shattered remains of her house, a tangle of water-logged debris, 50 metres from the beach. “We lost all our belongings,” she said. On Saturday night, she said she had to wade through waist-deep water to rescue her eight-year-old son who was trapped in debris. Doctors worked to save injured victims while hundreds of military and volunteers scoured debris-strewn beaches in search of survivors Monday after a deadly tsunami gushed ashore without warning on Indonesian islands, killing more than 280 people on a busy holiday weekend.

The waves that swept terrified locals and tourists into the sea Saturday night along the Sunda Strait followed an eruption and apparent landslide on Anak Krakatau, or “Child of Krakatoa,” one of the world’s most infamous volcanic islands. At least 281 people were killed and more than 1,000 were hurt. 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 Banten region said it has sent doctors and medical supplies and equipment and that many of the injured were in need of orthopedic and neurosurgery surgery. It said most patients are domestic tourists who were visiting the beach during the long weekend ahead of Christmas. It was the second deadly tsunami to hit seismically active Indonesia this year. A powerful earthquake triggered the tsunami that hit Sulawesi island in September, giving residents a brief warning before the waves struck.

There were three waves in a row,” said Yadi, a middle-aged fisherman who operates a fleet of six vessels that were among dozens that sank or were dragged out to sea by the waves. “There was a real panic. Many people were left behind,” he said, adding that he and his family escaped by running to higher ground. What’s left behind is a wasteland of collapsed houses and hotels and muddy roads strewn with twisted metal and wood. Thousands of displaced and grieving residents were searching for missing loved ones on Monday and trying to salvage whatever they could of their belongings. Heavy equipment was being used to help with the rescue effort.

Medics were sent in with the military, while groups of police and soldiers searched remote areas. Cici Paramita, 27, was clambering through the shattered remains of her house, a tangle of water-logged debris, 50 metres from the beach. “We lost all our belongings,” she said. On Saturday night, she said she had to wade through waist-deep water to rescue her eight-year-old son who was trapped in debris. Doctors worked to save injured victims while hundreds of military and volunteers scoured debris-strewn beaches in search of survivors Monday after a deadly tsunami gushed ashore without warning on Indonesian islands, killing more than 280 people on a busy holiday weekend.

The waves that swept terrified locals and tourists into the sea Saturday night along the Sunda Strait followed an eruption and apparent landslide on Anak Krakatau, or “Child of Krakatoa,” one of the world’s most infamous volcanic islands. At least 281 people were killed and more than 1,000 were hurt. 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 Banten region said it has sent doctors and medical supplies and equipment and that many of the injured were in need of orthopedic and neurosurgery surgery. It said most patients are domestic tourists who were visiting the beach during the long weekend ahead of Christmas. It was the second deadly tsunami to hit seismically active Indonesia this year. A powerful earthquake triggered the tsunami that hit Sulawesi island in September, giving residents a brief warning before the waves struck.

This news has been read 10486 times!