Indonesian authorities asked people to avoid the coast in areas where a tsunami killed more than 420 people last weekend in a fresh warning issued on the anniversary of the catastrophic 2004 Asian earthquake and tsunami. The big waves that followed the eruption of Anak Krakatoa, or "Child of Krakatoa" island volcano, hit communities along the Sunda Strait on Saturday night. The eruption is believed to have set off a large landslide on the volcano, either on its slope or underwater, displacing the water that slammed into Java and Sumatra islands. Indonesia's Meteorology, Geophysics and Climatology Agency asked people late Tuesday to stay at least 500 meters (1,640 feet) and up to 1 kilometer (less than a mile) from the coastline along the strait, which lies between the two main islands. Government workers were monitoring Anak Krakatoa's eruptions and high waves and heavy rain were possible Wednesday, said agency head Dwikorita Karnawati. "All these conditions could potentially cause landslides at the cliffs of the crater into the sea, and we fear that that could trigger a tsunami," she said at a news conference. She asked that communities remain vigilant and not to panic. The tsunami struck without warning, taking people by surprise even in a country familiar with seismic disaster. No big earthquake shook the ground beforehand, and it hit at night on a holiday weekend while people were enjoying concerts and other beach and resort activities.

An Indonesia policeman searches for victims amongst the debris at the Mutiara Carita Cottages in Carita in Banten province on December 24, 2018, two days after a tsunami - caused by activity at a volcano known as the 'child' of Krakatoa - hit the west coast of Indonesia's Java island SONNY TUMBELAKA/AFP/Getty Images

It was a sharp contrast to the disaster that struck 14 years ago off the western coast of Indonesia's Sumatra island. An enormous 9.1 magnitude earthquake rocked the area the morning after Christmas, creating gigantic waves that surged far inland swallowing everything in their path. The wall of water killed some 230,000 people in a dozen countries, more than half in Indonesia's Aceh province. The devastation was vast, and the disaster was among the worst witnessed in recent history. Saturday's event, coupled with an earthquake and tsunami in September on Sulawesi that killed at least 2,100 people, triggered flashbacks for some who survived the 2004 tragedy. "When it happens, I always remember what we have been through," said Qurnaty, 54, who uses only one name and lost her home and several family members to the waves in the hard-hit provincial capital of Banda Aceh. She prayed with surviving family members at a mass grave there on Wednesday's anniversary. "Every time I see them (on TV), I feel really, really sad. All we can do from here is to pray for them." Though recovery was slow, some victims of the latest tsunami said they remember the resilience of the Acehnese people, which gives them hope that they too can rebuild their homes and their lives. "I am scared, I am traumatized by the tsunami that I only knew before from the news. Now I know how horrifying a tsunami is," said Kusmiati, who uses only one name. Her face was still bruised and her legs swollen after she and her husband managed to survive being hit and dragged under by the waves after fleeing a beach villa in Carita, where they were working. Beaches were largely empty in the area, which is typically crammed with tourists, and police patrolled on motorbikes warning people to stay away from the coast. Some residents defied the order, returning to what was left of their homes to begin cleaning up as heavy rain fell and waves pounded the shore.

Rescuers look for survivors along the coast in South Lampung on South Sumatra on December 23, 2018, after the area was hit by a tsunami on December 22 following an eruption of the Anak Krakatoa volcano. - A volcano-triggered tsunami has left at least 222 people dead and hundreds more injured after slamming without warning into beaches around Indonesia's Sunda Strait, officials said on December 23, voicing fears that the toll would rise further. (Photo by Ferdi Awed / AFP) (Photo credit should read FERDI AWED/AFP/Getty Images) FERDI AWED | AFP | Getty Images