At least 222 people have now been confirmed dead after a massive tsunami smashed into coastal towns and resorts in Indonesia.

Hundreds of buildings were destroyed, roads ripped up and cars washed away when the giant waves hit without apparent warning at 9.27pm local time on Saturday.

Thousands of residents and tourists managed to flee to higher ground – but government officials said on Sunday they expected the death toll to rise significantly.

At least 27 people are still missing. Another 843 are injured with many in critical condition.

The islands of Java and Sumatra were both simultaneously hit as water surged inland from the Sunda Strait which divides them.

Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave Show all 25 1 /25 Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave Debris littered a property badly damaged by a tsunami in Carita, Indonesia. The tsunami occurred after the eruption of a volcano around Indonesia's Sunda Strait during a busy holiday weekend, sending water crashing ashore and sweeping away hotels, hundreds of houses and people attending a beach concert AP Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave Damaged cars are seen among collapsed houses after a tsunami hit Banten, Indonesia, December 23, 2018 in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Dian Triyuli Handoko/ via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. INDONESIA OUT. ANTARA FOTO Reuters Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave An aerial photo shows damaged buildings in Carita AFP/Getty Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave Relatives mourn at a health facility where the bodies of tsunami victims are collected EPA Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave A resident walks past a collapsed guesthouse after a tsunami hit the area at Carita beach in Pandeglang, Banten province, Indonesia, December 23, 2018. REUTERS/Stringer NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. STRINGER Reuters Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave epa07246244 Indonesian officers carry an injured person into an ambulance after a tsunami hit the Sunda Strait in Banten, Indonesia 23 December 2018. According to the Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB), at least 43 people dead and 584 others have been injured after a tsunami hit the coastal regions of the Sunda Strait. EPA/TUBAGUS TUBAGUS EPA Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave An aerial photo shows damaged buildings in Carita 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 168 people dead and hundreds more injured after slamming without warning into beaches around Indonesia's Sunda Strait, officials said on December 23, 2018 voicing fears that the toll was set to rise. (Photo by Azwar Ipank / AFP)AZWAR IPANK/AFP/Getty Images AZWAR IPANK AFP/Getty Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave epa07246251 A man walks among debris, past a damaged car, after a tsunami hit the Sunda Strait in Pandeglang, Banten, Indonesia, 23 December 2018. According to the Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB), at least 43 people dead and 584 others have been injured after a tsunami hit the coastal regions of the Sunda Strait. EPA/ADI WEDA ADI WEDA EPA Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave A man reacts after identifying his relative among the bodies of tsunami victims in Carita, Indonesia, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018. The tsunami occurred after the eruption of a volcano around Indonesia's Sunda Strait during a busy holiday weekend, sending water crashing ashore and sweeping away hotels, hundreds of houses and people attending a beach concert. (AP Photo/Fauzy Chaniago) Fauzy Chaniago AP Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave TOPSHOT - An aerial photo shows damaged buildings in Carita 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 168 people dead and hundreds more injured after slamming without warning into beaches around Indonesia's Sunda Strait, officials said on December 23, 2018 voicing fears that the toll was set to rise. (Photo by Azwar Ipank / AFP)AZWAR IPANK/AFP/Getty Images AZWAR IPANK AFP/Getty Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave epa07246239 Dead bodies collected at a health facility after a tsunami hit Sunda Strait in Pandeglang, Banten, Indonesia, 23 December 2018. According to the Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB), at least 43 people dead and 584 others have been injured after a tsunami hit the coastal regions of the Sunda Strait. EPA/ADI WEDA ADI WEDA EPA Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave Residents collect debris from their collapsed houses Reuters Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave A local health center officer covers a dead body Reuters Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave This handout from Indonesia's Social Affairs Ministry taken and released on December 23, 2018 shows damaged buildings and vehicles in Carita, after the area was hit by a tsunami on December 22 following an eruption of the Anak Krakatoa volcano. - A tsunami following a volcanic eruption killed 62 people and injured hundreds more as it slammed without warning into tourist beaches and coastal areas around Indonesia's Sunda Strait on the night of December 22, sending panicked holidaymakers and residents fleeing. (Photo by Handout / Indonesia Social Affairs Ministry / AFP) / -----EDITORS NOTE --- RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / Indonesia Social Affairs Ministry" - NO MARKETING - NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTSHANDOUT/AFP/Getty Images HANDOUT AFP/Getty Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave A man inspects his house which was damaged by a tsunami, in Carita, Indonesia, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018. The tsunami apparently caused by the eruption of an island volcano killed a number of people around Indonesia's Sunda Strait, sending a wall of water crashing some 65 feet (20 meters) inland and sweeping away hundreds of houses including hotels, the government and witnesses said. (AP Photo/Dian Triyuli Handoko) Dian Triyuli Handoko AP Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave Bodies of victims recovered along Carita beach are placed in body bags on December 23, 2018, after the area was hit by a tsunami on December 22 following an eruption of the Anak Krakatoa volcano. - A tsunami following a volcanic eruption killed 62 people and injured hundreds more as it slammed without warning into tourist beaches and coastal areas around Indonesia's Sunda Strait on the night of December 22, sending panicked holidaymakers and residents fleeing. (Photo by Semi / AFP)SEMI/AFP/Getty Images SEMI AFP/Getty Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave An Indonesian man looks at ruined vehicles EPA Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave epa07246112 A handout photo made available by the Indonesia's national disaster management (BNPB) shows a ruined car that was rolled over after a tsunami hit Sunda Strait, in Anyer, Banten, Indonesia, 23 December 2018. According to BNPB, at least 43 people dead and 584 others have been injured. EPA/BNPB / HANDOUT HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES BNPB / HANDOUT EPA Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave Indonesian men walk among debris EPA Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave Rescue team evacuate the body of a victim EPA Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave A ruined tractor sits in the water EPA Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave Survivors receive treatment at a hospital in Carita AFP/Getty Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave A resident walks past damaged houses AP Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave A soldier examines a local resident who was injured Antara Foto/Reuters Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave Damaged cars are seen among the debris after a tsunami hit the Sunda Strait in Indonesia EPA

It is thought an undersea landslide from the notorious Anak Krakatau volcano caused the surge.

Video footage posted online showed the moment the tsunami smashed into beaches and residential districts in the popular tourist area of Pandeglang on Java island.

In one harrowing clip, the tsunami is seen crashing, without apparent warning, through a beach tent where the popular Indonesian rock band Seventeen are performing. Both fans and members of the group appear to be swept away.

Singer Riefian Fajarsyah later confirmed that the group’s bassist and road manager had died. He said three other band members and his own wife remained missing.

Death toll in Indonesia tsunami passes 220

As an international rescue operation swung into action on Sunday, efforts were continually hampered by blocked roads and fears of a second tsunami.

President Joko Widodo expressed his sorrow for the victims but urged people to be patient.

In a post on Twitter, he said he had “ordered all relevant government agencies to immediately take emergency response steps, find victims and care for the injured”.

He told both residents and tourists to stay away from beaches around the Sunda Strait with a high-tide warning now set to remain in place until 25 December.

Speaking to the BBC, Kathy Mueller, a Red Cross official, said: “There is debris littering the ground, crushed cars, crushed motorcycles, we’re seeing buildings that are collapsed.”

Of the current death toll, officials said more than 160 were killed in Pandeglang. Another 48 have been reported dead in South Lampung on Sumatra. Fatalities were also reported in the districts of Serang and Tanggamus.

Indonesia Tsunami: Volcano erupting

Eyewitness Oystein Lund Andersen, a Norwegian tourist, wrote on Facebook: “I had to run, as the wave passed the beach and landed 15 to 20 metres inland.

“Next wave entered the hotel area where I was staying and downed cars on the road behind it. Managed to evacuate with my family to higher ground [through] forest paths and villages, where we were taken care of by locals.”

Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave Show all 25 1 /25 Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave Debris littered a property badly damaged by a tsunami in Carita, Indonesia. The tsunami occurred after the eruption of a volcano around Indonesia's Sunda Strait during a busy holiday weekend, sending water crashing ashore and sweeping away hotels, hundreds of houses and people attending a beach concert AP Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave Damaged cars are seen among collapsed houses after a tsunami hit Banten, Indonesia, December 23, 2018 in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Dian Triyuli Handoko/ via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. INDONESIA OUT. ANTARA FOTO Reuters Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave An aerial photo shows damaged buildings in Carita AFP/Getty Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave Relatives mourn at a health facility where the bodies of tsunami victims are collected EPA Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave A resident walks past a collapsed guesthouse after a tsunami hit the area at Carita beach in Pandeglang, Banten province, Indonesia, December 23, 2018. REUTERS/Stringer NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. STRINGER Reuters Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave epa07246244 Indonesian officers carry an injured person into an ambulance after a tsunami hit the Sunda Strait in Banten, Indonesia 23 December 2018. According to the Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB), at least 43 people dead and 584 others have been injured after a tsunami hit the coastal regions of the Sunda Strait. EPA/TUBAGUS TUBAGUS EPA Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave An aerial photo shows damaged buildings in Carita 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 168 people dead and hundreds more injured after slamming without warning into beaches around Indonesia's Sunda Strait, officials said on December 23, 2018 voicing fears that the toll was set to rise. (Photo by Azwar Ipank / AFP)AZWAR IPANK/AFP/Getty Images AZWAR IPANK AFP/Getty Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave epa07246251 A man walks among debris, past a damaged car, after a tsunami hit the Sunda Strait in Pandeglang, Banten, Indonesia, 23 December 2018. According to the Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB), at least 43 people dead and 584 others have been injured after a tsunami hit the coastal regions of the Sunda Strait. EPA/ADI WEDA ADI WEDA EPA Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave A man reacts after identifying his relative among the bodies of tsunami victims in Carita, Indonesia, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018. The tsunami occurred after the eruption of a volcano around Indonesia's Sunda Strait during a busy holiday weekend, sending water crashing ashore and sweeping away hotels, hundreds of houses and people attending a beach concert. (AP Photo/Fauzy Chaniago) Fauzy Chaniago AP Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave TOPSHOT - An aerial photo shows damaged buildings in Carita 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 168 people dead and hundreds more injured after slamming without warning into beaches around Indonesia's Sunda Strait, officials said on December 23, 2018 voicing fears that the toll was set to rise. (Photo by Azwar Ipank / AFP)AZWAR IPANK/AFP/Getty Images AZWAR IPANK AFP/Getty Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave epa07246239 Dead bodies collected at a health facility after a tsunami hit Sunda Strait in Pandeglang, Banten, Indonesia, 23 December 2018. According to the Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB), at least 43 people dead and 584 others have been injured after a tsunami hit the coastal regions of the Sunda Strait. EPA/ADI WEDA ADI WEDA EPA Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave Residents collect debris from their collapsed houses Reuters Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave A local health center officer covers a dead body Reuters Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave This handout from Indonesia's Social Affairs Ministry taken and released on December 23, 2018 shows damaged buildings and vehicles in Carita, after the area was hit by a tsunami on December 22 following an eruption of the Anak Krakatoa volcano. - A tsunami following a volcanic eruption killed 62 people and injured hundreds more as it slammed without warning into tourist beaches and coastal areas around Indonesia's Sunda Strait on the night of December 22, sending panicked holidaymakers and residents fleeing. (Photo by Handout / Indonesia Social Affairs Ministry / AFP) / -----EDITORS NOTE --- RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / Indonesia Social Affairs Ministry" - NO MARKETING - NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTSHANDOUT/AFP/Getty Images HANDOUT AFP/Getty Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave A man inspects his house which was damaged by a tsunami, in Carita, Indonesia, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018. The tsunami apparently caused by the eruption of an island volcano killed a number of people around Indonesia's Sunda Strait, sending a wall of water crashing some 65 feet (20 meters) inland and sweeping away hundreds of houses including hotels, the government and witnesses said. (AP Photo/Dian Triyuli Handoko) Dian Triyuli Handoko AP Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave Bodies of victims recovered along Carita beach are placed in body bags on December 23, 2018, after the area was hit by a tsunami on December 22 following an eruption of the Anak Krakatoa volcano. - A tsunami following a volcanic eruption killed 62 people and injured hundreds more as it slammed without warning into tourist beaches and coastal areas around Indonesia's Sunda Strait on the night of December 22, sending panicked holidaymakers and residents fleeing. (Photo by Semi / AFP)SEMI/AFP/Getty Images SEMI AFP/Getty Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave An Indonesian man looks at ruined vehicles EPA Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave epa07246112 A handout photo made available by the Indonesia's national disaster management (BNPB) shows a ruined car that was rolled over after a tsunami hit Sunda Strait, in Anyer, Banten, Indonesia, 23 December 2018. According to BNPB, at least 43 people dead and 584 others have been injured. EPA/BNPB / HANDOUT HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES BNPB / HANDOUT EPA Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave Indonesian men walk among debris EPA Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave Rescue team evacuate the body of a victim EPA Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave A ruined tractor sits in the water EPA Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave Survivors receive treatment at a hospital in Carita AFP/Getty Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave A resident walks past damaged houses AP Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave A soldier examines a local resident who was injured Antara Foto/Reuters Indonesia tsunami:Rescue operation begins after devastating tidal wave Damaged cars are seen among the debris after a tsunami hit the Sunda Strait in Indonesia EPA

It is thought an eruption from Anak Krakatau caused the landslide which led to the water surge. It has been estimated it blew 24 minutes before the waves hit land.

Coastal residents reported not seeing or feeling any warning signs – such as receding water or earth tremors – before waves of two to three metres washed ashore, according to Indonesia media.

Authorities said warning sirens had gone off in some areas.

More than 800 people were injured in the tsunami (EPA)