Indonesia death toll continues to rise after tsunami

By Nadia Samie

The death toll from the tsunami that hit Indonesia’s Java Island had reached 525 by early Wednesday evening.

Panic broke out on Wednesday when aftershocks triggered rumours of another tsunami. Thus far, a total of 52 aftershocks have been recorded since Monday's 7.7 quake, DWR reports.

Indonesia’s department of Social Affairs says that more than 35 000 people have been displaced by the disaster, which struck on Monday. Fishing villages and buildings have been destroyed and more than 300 people are still reported missing.

The question everyone is asking now is why no warning had been issued prior to the tsunami. The BBC reports that government officials say they had received a warning that the island of Java was threatened by a tsunami, following an underwater earthquake off the coast.

The government say they were unable to pass the warning on to the coastal areas. Indonesia is in the process of building an early warning system, but this could take up to three years to complete.