The death toll from an Indonesian tsunami has climbed to 154 with more than 400 people still missing, an official said, as rescuers tried to help its victims and those affected by an erupting volcano.
The 7.7-magnitude quake that struck on Monday 13 miles beneath the ocean floor triggered a 10-foot wave that hit several remote islands.
With rescuers struggling to reach many of the hardest-hit villages, reports of damage and casualties are only just starting to arrive.
Harmensyah, who heads the West Sumatra provincial disaster management centre, released the increased death toll as rescuers continued to try to reach victims of the tsunami and a volcano erupting on the island of Java.
The twin disasters happened hours apart in one of the most seismically active regions on the planet.
Rescuers scoured the slopes of Indonesia's most volatile volcano today after the eruption that spewed clouds of searing hot ash, killing at least 28 villagers.
The blast eased pressure that had been building up behind a lava dome perched on the volcano's crater, but experts said the worst may not be over. The dome could unleash deadly gases and debris if it collapses.
Mount Merapi, which translates as "Fire Mountain", has erupted many times over the past 200 years, often with deadly results. In 1994, 60 people were killed, while in 1930, more than a dozen villages were incinerated, leaving up to 1,300 dead.
More than 11,000 people live on its fertile slopes. Though thousands of them fled to emergency shelters after Tuesday's eruption, many defied warnings and have started returning.
Several other areas, however, were virtually untouched.
