Dubai: The UAE Embassy in Jakarta has issued a travel advisory to Emiratis, urging them to monitor weather developments in Indonesia’s Sunda Strait.
At least 280 people were killed and more than 800 were left injured after a volcano erupted about 14.30pm GMT (6.30pm UAE time) on Saturday, leaving hundreds of buildings destroyed by a three-foot wave.
The UAE Embassy said that it is following up on the recent events with great interest, and “advised citizens to take precautions and communicate with the embassy in the event of an emergency”.
“It is extremely important that the UAE Embassy in Indonesia is also monitoring the tide levels in the region of Anyer. We urge citizens to call +62 215206518 for all queries or in cases of emergency”, it said.
Anyer is a coastal town in Banten – 132 kilometres west of Jakarta – is regularly visited by tourists who want to take in the history of the late 18th-century town, which faces the Sunda Strait.
Rahmat Triyono, earthquake and tsunami chief at Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency, told AP that no earthquake was recorded and no tsunami warning was issued. “We don’t know what caused the tsunami yet,” he said.
A video of an Indonesian rock band getting swept away mid-performance also went viral on social media, capturing just how unaware people were of the tsunami that hit Indonesia.
