The desperate search continues Wednesday for survivors of a tsunami which struck parts of western Indonesia, as the country marks the 14-year anniversary of its 2004 Sumatra tragedy – one of the most devastating ever recorded.
At least 430 people were killed Saturday when the tsunami — sparked by landslides from an erupting volcano — swept through the Sunda Strait, leaving about 1,500 injured and almost 22,000 displaced in villages on the Java and Sumatra coasts, officials said Wednesday.
Dozens of people are still missing. The Indonesia Red Cross said Wednesday that it was sending emergency aid to the affected area, with 400 staff and volunteers supporting search and rescue efforts.
“Most survivors have been huddling in temporary shelters away from the shore, but have started to emerge to search for loved ones and assess damage to their property,” said Arifin M. Hadi, head of disaster management at the Indonesian Red Cross.
“Our teams are seeing many broken bones and broken homes, and people who are very shaken. Indonesians have withstood a string of disasters this year and with them, so much loss and misery.”
And the next one could hit at any moments as more than 20 indonesian volcanoes are currently showing enhanced activity.
