Indonesia tsunami: Wave crashes into pop concert by local band Seventeen

PANDEGLANG, Dec. 23, 2018 (Xinhua) -- Cars and tractors are seen among the debris after a tsunami hit Sunda Strait in Pandeglang, Banten province, in Indonesia, Dec. 23, 2018. The total casualty of a tsunami triggered by the eruption of Krakatau Child volcano has increased to 168 people in coastal areas of Sunda Strait of western Indonesia, disaster agency official said here on Sunday. The catastrophe killed at least 168 people, wounded at least 745 ones and collapsed a total of 430 houses and nine hotels, and caused damages to scores of ships.

Jakarta,   A popular Indonesian rock band performing near the beach was swept away when a tsunami hit the Sunda Strait in Indonesia on Saturday.

Footage shared on social media showed a large wave crashing into a tent in the resort, in which the rock band, Seventeen, was performing.

Members of the band were seen being swept away as the wave destroyed the stage, BBC reported.

In a tearful Instagram video, singer Riefian Fajarsyah, said the band’s bassist and road manager had died, and that three other band members and his own wife were missing.

“Please pray that we can find Andi, Herman and Ujang and my wife.”

A crew member, Zack, said on Instagram that he survived by grabbing onto part of the stage, and “in the final seconds [underwater] I almost ran out of breath”, Reuters reported.

The band was in the middle of a show organised by PLN, the state-run electric company, CNN reported.

A tsunami following a volcanic eruption hit Indonesia, leaving 222 people dead on Saturday night, officials said Sunday.

Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, head of public relations at Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency, said 843 people were injured and 28 were missing, as of 4pm local time.

“This number will continue to rise, considering not all places have been checked,” Dr Sutopo told a media briefing in Yogyakarta.