Rescue teams used diggers and other heavy equipment to haul debris from the stricken area around the Sunda Strait on Monday, as thousands were evacuated from the affected region. "The number of victims and damage will continue to rise," said disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho. The national disaster agency said casualty figures were set to rise as it issued the fresh death toll -- up from a previous 222 -- and said more than 50 people were still missing. "The number of victims and damage will continue to rise," said disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho. Indonesian president Joko Widodo was scheduled to visit the area Monday, less than three months after a quake-tsunami killed thousands of people around the city of Palu on Sulawesi island.

Source: Daily Nation December 24, 2018 04:07 UTC