Palace condoles with tsunami-hit Indonesia

MANILA, Philippines— Malacañang on Sunday offered sympathies to Indonesia after it was hit by a deadly tsunami on Saturday evening.

"We offer our heartfelt thoughts and prayers to the people of Indonesia who were hit by a tsunami around the Sunda Strait yesterday night," the Palace said in a statement.

“We particularly condole with the families of those who perished in this tragedy,” it added.

At least 168 people were killed and 745 were hurt following a tsunami that came after a volcanic eruption. It hit the popular beaches around Indonesia’s Sunda Strait on Sunday night without warning

Indonesia’s national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said hundreds of buildings were destroyed by the wave that hit the coast of southern Sumatra and the western tip of Java.

Reports said 30 were missing across the three regions.

Meanwhile, the Palace said that the Department of Foreign Affairs, through the Philippine Embassy in Jakarta, is continuously monitoring the situation in the area to determine the condition of Filipino citizens residing in the area.

The embassy also remains in touch with the leaders of the Filipino community in Indonesia to make sure they “are all safe and accounted for.”

According to the estimated data of reports in 2014, there are around 15,000 Filipinos in Indonesia. —Rosette Adel