The UK P&I club received updates on the tsunami that affected Indonesia on December 22. The club recommends that vessels passing through are alert and try to stay clear of the area, as practically as possible. As the alters in the depth of the water aren’t confirmed yet, the area’s naval activity isn’t busy.
Mainly, the tsunami that took place on December caused fatalities. It destroyed dozens of buildings, at least 222 people died, 843 were injured and 28 are missing after the wave hit coastal areas of South Sumatra and the western tip of Java.
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As far as the shipping activity is concerned, Indonesia’s Navy Hydrographic and Oceanographic Centre has preformed meteorological mapping and found evidence of siltation in the waters around the volcano.
The Centre attributes this situation to sedimentation, probably due to volcanic material entering the sea causing variations between 1 meter and 40 meters in the immediate vicinity of the volcano.
In conclusion, the actual depth is best confirmed by hydrographic survey. Marine traffic indicates that there’s vessel activity in and out of the area.
