Indonesia tsunami death toll climbs to 334 people - UPDATED

The death toll in a tsunami in Indonesia has reached 334 people, and 61 are missing, spokesman for the National Search and Rescue Agency Fahrizal said in a report released on Monday, TASS reports.

"According to incoming information, 334 people were killed, 764 in total were injured and at least 61 are missing," the spokesman said. "The death toll will grow," he said. Rescuers continue the search operation, the spokesman added. "We hope that we will find all the missing," Fahrizal noted.

"The tsunami affected 17 areas in Banten Province on the island of Java, as well as Lampung Province on the island of Sumatra," he said.

According to earlier reports, 281 people were killed in the disaster. The disaster passed in the Sunda Strait, which separates the islands of Java and Sumatra, on the evening of December 22.

As of Monday morning, the death toll has reached 281 in the tsunami that struck coastal areas around Indonesia’s Sunda Strait, between the islands of Sumatra and Java, on December 22, The Straits Times reported.

This is up from 222 the night before, while 1,016 people were injured and 57 were missing, according to Indonesia’s disaster agency.

Also, the tsunami damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes and buildings.

The tsunami was caused by an abnormal tidal wave surge due to a full moon and an underwater landslide following the eruption of the Anak Krakatau volcano, which is located in the middle of the Sunda Strait. 

Indonesia does not have any early warning system for tsunamis.

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