Recent natural disasters that have occurred in Indonesia
Indonesia yesterday was battling twin natural disasters after a tsunami triggered by a powerful earthquake smashed into a remote island chain and the nation’s most active volcano erupted. They are the latest catastrophes to hit the archipelago, which...
Indonesia yesterday was battling twin natural disasters after a tsunami triggered by a powerful earthquake smashed into a remote island chain and the nation’s most active volcano erupted.
They are the latest catastrophes to hit the archipelago, which sits on the Pacific “ring of fire” where the meeting of continental plates causes high volcanic and seismic activity.
Indonesia is frequently struck by powerful earthquakes and has the world’s largest number of active volcanoes.
Here are some of the major incidents since 2004:
2010
October 25: A powerful earthquake hits a remote island chain off western Sumatra, triggering a tsunami that officials say has killed at least 112 people, with over 500 missing. A day later Mount Merapi erupts in central Java, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee the country’s most active volcano. At least 25 people are killed.
October 4: Flash floods that strike a district in eastern Indonesia’s West Papua province kill at least 148.
February 23: At least 85 are left dead or missing after a landslide near Bandung to the south of Jakarta.
2009
November 8: A landslide in Palopo district, South Sulawesi province, kills at least 30 people.
September 30: An earthquake hits near Padang city in Sumatra, killing at least 1,100 people.
September 2: A quake rocks Java, killing at least 100.
2007
December 26: Over 130 die in Java floods and landslides.
July: Over 130 die in Sulawesi floods and landslides.
March 6: A Sumatra quake kills 73.
February 1: Jakarta floods leave at least 80 dead.
2006
December 24-29: More than 300 dead and missing after Sumatra floods; 350,000 left homeless.
July 17: 650 die after an undersea quake strikes off Java, unleashing a tsunami.
June 20-24: Sulawesi floods leave 350 dead and missing, 13,000 homeless.
May 27: A quake in Indon-esia’s Yogyakarta region kills 5,800 and leaves 1.5 million homeless.
March 28: An 8.6-magnitude quake on Nias island kills at least 900.
2005
February 21: A garbage landslide buries a shanty town southeast of Jakarta, killing more than 140.
2004
December 26: An undersea earthquake off the coast of Sumatra island triggers a tsunami that kills 220,000 in countries around the Indian Ocean, including 168,000 in Indonesia.