Death toll from deadly Indonesia tsunami jumps to 373

Rescue operatives have reportedly stepped up search for more bodies after a deadly tsunami hit the Indonesian island of Java and Sumatra with the death toll rising from 281 victims to 373.

That much was revealed by an official said on Monday as rescue workers stepped up efforts to reach many areas swept away by the deadly waves.

“1,459 people are injured, while 128 remain missing,” Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency, said in a statement.

According to the country’s disaster management agency the tsunami swept away hundreds of homes and hotels in the area.

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Al Jazeera’s Andrew Thomas, reporting from Pantai Tumaritis, on the western coast of Java, said officials were wary about a possible reoccurrence.

“All Monday morning, there has been a low rumbling noise that occasionally peaks from the volcano some 47km out to sea directly from where we are,” he said, reporting from a hotel where two young children were found dead.

“With audio evidence that the volcano is continuing to erupt; it has been erupting on and off for months now, and Saturday’s wasn’t a particularly big one – there is a very real concern that there could be further tsunamis.”

Moments after the ugly incident, authorities warned residents and tourists in coastal areas around the Sunda Strait to stay away from beaches.

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