US President Donald Trump calls Indonesia Tsunami an ‘unthinkable devastation’, voices support

US President Donald Trump calling the Indonesia Tsunami an ‘unthinkable devastation’ has offered a message of support after a volcano-triggered tsunami left 222 people dead and hundreds more injured. "Unthinkable devastation from the tsunami disaster in Indonesia," the Donald Trump tweeted. "More than two hundred dead and nearly a thousand injured or unaccounted for. We are praying for recovery and healing. America is with you!" He joined the band of world leaders voicing condolences after the destructive wave struck the area with little warning, destroying hundreds of buildings and uprooting trees. "I want to extend my deepest sympathies to the Indonesian people who have been hit so hard once again by natural disaster," Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, said on Twitter.

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The UN and European Union both pledged to mobilize humanitarian support if requested by Jakarta. "The United Nations stands ready to support the ongoing government-led rescue and relief efforts," a spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement.

The deadly tsunami struck at Saturday night without any warning, destroying hundreds of buildings located in several popular tourist destinations, including the Tanjung Lesung beach resort in the west of Java island. Local authorities said the undersea landslides after the Anak Krakatau volcano eruption might have caused the tsunami. Meanwhile, people have been advised to stay away from the coastline due to fears of another tsunami.

Anak Krakatoa is one of 127 active volcanoes which run the length of the archipelago. Anak Krakatoa is a small volcanic island that emerged from the ocean half a century after Krakatoa's deadly 1883 eruption. When Krakatoa erupted in the 19th century, a jet of ash, stones and smoke shot more than 20 kilometres into the sky, plunging the region into darkness, and sparking a huge tsunami that was felt around the world.

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Most recently in the city of Palu on Sulawesi island a quake and tsunami killed thousands of people. In 2004 a tsunami triggered by a magnitude 9.3 undersea earthquake off the coast of Sumatra in western Indonesia killed 220,000 people in countries around the Indian Ocean, including 168,000 in Indonesia.