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Almost 300 killed in Indonesian tsunami

The death toll from a tsunami that engulfed a domestic tourist area in Indonesia has risen to almost 300.

More than 1,000 people were also injured as huge waves struck coastal towns on the islands of Sumatra and Java during a local holiday on Saturday.

There are renewed fears of another tsunami due to continued eruptions of the Anak Krakatau volcano.

Coastal residents near the volcano have been warned to keep away from beaches amid fears it could trigger more deadly waves.

Volcanic activity is thought to have set off undersea landslides which in turn generated the killer waves.

Anak Krakatau erupted again on Sunday, spewing ash and smoke, the BBC reported.

Video shot from a charter aircraft captured the magnitude of the volcanic event in the Sunda Strait, between Sumatra and Java.

Waves destroyed hundreds of buildings, sweeping away cars and uprooting trees in several popular tourist destinations including the Tanjung Lesung beach resort in west Java.

In updated travel advice, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said that “before travelling to these coastal areas of western Java and the south of Sumatra you should check with your travel operator, monitor local media and follow the advice of the local authorities”.

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