A tsunami apparently caused by the eruption of an island volcano killed at least 168 people around Indonesia's Sunda Strait, sending a wall of water crashing some 20 metres inland and sweeping away hundreds of houses including hotels.
The Indonesian government said some 700 people have been reported injured when the tsunami hit last night.
Scientists from Indonesia's Meteorology and Geophysics Agency said it could have been caused by undersea landslides from the eruption of Anak Krakatau, a volcanic island formed over years from the nearby Krakatau volcano.
They also cited tidal waves caused by the full moon.
The Anak Krakatau volcano in the Sunda Strait that links the Indian Ocean and Java Sea erupted about 24 minutes before the tsunami, the geophysics agency said.
The 305-metre high volcano, which is situated about 200 kilometres southwest of capital Jakarta, has been erupting since June.
(AP)
