Indonesia tsunami: Boyband Seventeen hit by disaster as wave sweeps through concert, killing bassist and manager
Footage shows waves wipe out open-air stage and hurl band members into audience at beach resort
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A tsunami triggered by a volcano eruption in Indonesia swept through a boyband’s concert, killing the bassist and manager.
Footage shows the wave wiping out the open-air stage and hurling band members into the audience at a beach resort in Tanjung Lesung on Saturday night.
More than 168 people have been killed and 745 injured after the tsunami struck the coast on the country’s Sunda Strait. The country’s disaster management agency said dozens were still missing and hundreds of buildings badly damaged.
The strait – between the islands of Java and Sumatra – links the Java Sea to the Indian Ocean.
Riefian Fajarsyah, lead vocalist of the local band Seventeen, later shared an emotional video with his 260,000 Instagram followers in which he said the group’s bassist and road manager had been killed.
Fajarsyah fought back tears and wiped his eyes as he said his wife, two more band members, and a crew member were still missing.
“We lost our bassist Bani and our road manager Oki,” he said in the clip.
“Andi [drummer] and Herman [guitar] and Ujang [crew] have not been found. Please pray so that my wife Dylan [Dylan Sahara] will be found soon.
“The rest are thankfully safe although suffering from injuries and broken bones. Please pray so my wife Dylan, Andi and Herman and Ujang can be found soon.”
Fans can be seen clapping before the wave crashes through the backdrop to the stage – catapulting the band members and their equipment crashing into the crowd.
The clip has been widely shared on social media has prompted an outpouring of messages of support.
There was no warning before the deadly tsunami hit – the country’s disaster management agency say it was likely to have been caused by undersea landslides after the Anak Krakatoa volcano erupted.
The agency has warned people to stay away from the coastline due to fears of another tsunami. Officials say the death toll is likely to increase further.
Indonesia has been hit by a series of natural disasters in recent weeks, including a devastating earthquake that hit the island of Sulawesi at the end of September.
Rivers of soil swept away whole neighbourhoods in the wake of the 7.5-magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami in the towns of Baleroa and Petobo. The death toll from the quake is nearly 2,000.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments