Watch FIFA World Cup 2026™

LIVE, FREE and EXCLUSIVE

A look at major tsunamis in Indonesia

A look at major tsunamis in Indonesia in recent years

September 2018: In the eastern Indonesian city of Palu, on the Palu-Koro Fault, a 7.5 quake and the resulting tsunami kills nearly 2,000 with thousands more missing.

October 2010: A 10-foot (three-meter) wave strikes the Mentawai Islands, off the western coast of Sumatra in Indonesia, just minutes after a massive offshore earthquake. More than 400 people are killed and hundreds of homes are destroyed.

July 2006: A tsunami kills at least 668 people on Java's southern coast.

December 2004: A massive magnitude 9.1 earthquake hits Indonesia, spawning a giant tsunami off Sumatra, killing more than 230,000 in a dozen countries - the majority in Indonesia.

February 1996: A tsunami caused by an earthquake near Biak causes some waves to rise to an estimated 21 feet high. The quake registered at least a magnitude 7, by some accounts as high as 8. Hundreds of homes were swept out to sea like "a giant broom."

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

December 1992: A magnitude 7 earthquake caused a tsunami that killed about 2,500 people on the southeastern island of Flores, part of a group of islands in the eastern half of Indonesia.

August 1977: A quake registering between 7 and 8.9, one of the strongest ever recorded, spawns a tsunami that kills at least 168 in the Sunda Islands in Indonesia.

---

AP researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York contributed.


2 min read

Published

Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world