Indonesia volcano tsunami Highlights: At least 373 dead, 1,400 injured on islands of Java and Sumatra

Indonesia volcano tsunami Highlights: A resident searches for items among the ruins of a villa after the area was hit by a tsunami, at Carita beach in Padeglang, Banten province, Indonesia. (Reuters)

Indonesia volcano tsunami Highlights: The death toll climbed to 373 with more than 1,400 people injured and at least 128 were missing after the killer waves slammed into western Java and southern Sumatra without warning Saturday night, smashing homes to pieces and sweeping locals and Christmastime tourists into the sea. The toll is certain to rise further as hundreds of military personnel and volunteers conduct their search operation along debris-strewn beaches.

Hundreds of homes were “heavily damaged” and “many are missing”. The deaths bring back memories of December 26, 2004, when an Indian Ocean tsunami triggered by an earthquake killed 226,000 people in 13 countries, including more than 120,000 in Indonesia.

Read: Videos, pictures show trail of destruction on islands of Java and Sumatra