The search continues to find survivors of a tsunami which struck western Indonesia last Saturday evening. The country marked the 14th anniversary of the 2004 Tsunami in Sumatra, it was one of the most devastating events ever recorded in the archipelago.
About 430 people were killed on Saturday when the tsunami waves came, after a landslide erupted a volcano in the Sunda Strait. This left 1,500 people injured and close to 22,000 displaced. Many people still missing.
The Indonesia Red Cross has sent emergency aid to search and rescue the affected area, it has 400 staff strength on ground.
The survivors have been living in temporary shelters away from the coasts, but have emerged to search for loved ones and assess damage to their property.
Indonesia withstood trail of disasters this year, in September 2,000 people were killed after a tsunami and earthquake struck western Sulawesi. Between July and August, a series of earthquakes hit the northern Lombok region triggering landslides and collapsing buildings, this left more than 400 people dead.
In comparison to the 2004 disaster a 9.1-magnitude earthquake struck near Sumatra on Boxing Day, it triggered a massive tsunami in the Indian Ocean killing 174,000 people.
After the 2004 disaster European nations and Malaysia donated detection buoys and other equipment to Indonesia to help warn any future tsunamis’. The systems need upgrades and replacements. The last buoys stopped working in 2012. The tsunami that occurred on Saturday caught people off guard, and created the chaos it did.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo ordered purchase of new tsunami detectors that provide early warnings.
Indonesia’s current system has ability to predict tsunamis that preceded by earthquakes, Saturday’s tsunami was beyond the current technology.
Indonesia would look to install tidal gates to detect waves near land. The system can detect waves that may be triggered by a volcanic eruption. The volcano is still active in the Sunda Strait, it caused a 158 acre chunk of Anak Krakatau to slide into the ocean.
The Anak Krakatau island is located 50 kilometers from the Java and Sumatra coastline, and is continuously erupting. Many residents fearing of more monster waves.