More than 200 people have died and 843 injured after a tsunami of up to ten feet high struck the Southeast Asian nation of Indonesia on Saturday night at the end of a year of multiple and devastating natural disasters.

The tsunami’s waves struck beaches along the Sunda Strait without warning at about 9.30pm local time on Saturday, collapsing homes and hotels, crushing vehicles and ships, toppling electricity poles and sweeping victims out to sea.

Tragically it hit several popular tourist destinations during peak holiday season, catching many holidaymakers off guard as no tsunami alarms had been triggered and there had been no earthquake to warn that a wave may be on the way.

The authorities have now warned that the coastline should be avoided over the next few days due to fears that it could happen again.

Officials say the tsunami, which occurred between the islands of Java and Sumatra, in the strait linking the Indian Ocean and Java Sea, may have been caused by undersea landslides after the Anak Krakatau volcano erupted 24 minutes earlier.