summing up
≡At least 222 people killed after as tsunami hits the shores
≡More than 800 injured and hundreds missing, Hundreds of Buildings damaged and swept away
≡Officials say the tsunami could have been triggered by undersea landslides after the Anak Krakatau volcano erupted
≡Fears that the death toll to rise further
≡Tourists warned not to visit the Sea Beaches till the Christmas day
At least 222 people lost their lives and many more injured after a tsunami struck tourist beaches and coastal areas around Indonesia’s Sunda Strait on Saturday night. The disaster took place after Mount Krakatoa volcano erupted. The huge wave hit at 9:30pm and hundres of buildings are damaged.
Now the question that arises, whether the Indonesian sea shores are safe enough to welcome tourists or not ?
Tourists who are already there in the country have been requested by the authorities not to take on the sea beaches till the Christmas day.
As warned by the head of the meteorological agency, Rahmat Triyono, “Please avoid being in the vicinity of the beaches around the Sunda Strait. Those who have evacuated, please do not return now.”
The most severely affected area was the Pandeglang region of Banten province in Java, which is highlighted with the Ujung Kulon national park and many popular beaches.
Being unaware about the approaching disaster, a local rock band was performing on an outdoor stage along the seashore which was washed away by the gigantic waves, killing many. The audience who had been watching the band on the beach were missing. The search operations are still on. Reports said the wave swept away hundreds of homes and hotels, raising the probability of the death toll to rise in the coming days.
However the extreme weather condition did not affect the flight movement so adversely. Though some flights to Bali Ngurah Rai Airport, Denpasar, including flights from Hong Kong, Brisbane and Perth are delayed by few hours.But Services at Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Surabaya Juanda International Airport, Yogyakarta Adisucipto International Airport, Bandung Husein Sastranegara International Airport and Lombok International Airport seem unaffected so far.
The earthquake was measured at 5.1 magnitude that caused the tsunami near Lombok. Such natural calamities are certainly adversely influence the country’s tourism trade to a large extend.
