It no longer exists. A tsunami is a series of sea waves caused by underwater earthquakes, landslides or volcanoes. Its 100-foot waves killed more than 36,000 people on the coasts of Java and Sumatra. Hours later, it reached Hawaii, where it killed 159 people. About 200 people died.
Tsunamis can occur anywhere, but are most common in the Pacific Ocean.
The official death toll as of Wednesday, July 22, is at least 1,300, mostly children and the elderly. But John Tekwi, governor of West Sepik Province, where the wave hit, was quoted by Australian Broadcasting Corp. as saying at least 3,000 people had died. As the tragedy unfolded, estimates of the number of deaths quickly climbed to 6,000. Hundreds of people were injured and are awaiting urgent medical help, while others are believed to have fled to higher ground in the interior. An estimated 6,000 people were left homeless.