Indonesia hit by triple whammy a

Oct 27, 2010 |

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Jakarta, Oct. 26: At least 108 people were killed and were 500 missing, including a group of Australian surfers, after a tsunami triggered by a powerful earthquake hit a remote Indonesian island chain, destroying villages in its path.

The 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck in the Mentawai Islands area west of Sumatra late on Monday, generating wa-ves as high as 10 feet that swept away 10 villages, officials said.

A group of Australian tourists reported that their boat with 15 people aboard was destroyed by a “wall of white water” crashing into a bay after the undersea quake and said some had to cling to trees to survive.

“We felt a bit of a shake underneath the boat... then within several minutes we heard an almighty roar,” said Rick Hallet, an Australian who operates a boat-chartering business in Sumatra.

On Tuesday, Mount Merapi erupted thrice, causing thousands to flee and claiming the life of a three-month-old baby girl as it emitted searing clouds and volcanic ash.

Before the eruption, people living in the shadow of Indonesia's most active volcano had been warned to evacuate or risk being killed.

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