ISLAMABAD, Dec 23 (DNA): The Foreign Office on Sunday expressed its sadness over the loss of precious lives in a tsunami following a volcanic eruption in Indonesia’s Sunda Strait.

Spokesperson Dr Muhammad Faisal tweeted: “Deeply saddened over loss of precious lives, injuries to hundreds in tsunami in Sunda Strait of Indonesia. Pakistan stands by their Indonesian brethren in these testing times.”

Hundreds of buildings were destroyed by the tsunami, which hit the coast of southern Sumatra and the western tip of Java about 9:30 pm (1430 GMT) following the eruption of a volcano known as the “child” of the legendary Krakatoa, national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.

Search and rescue teams were scouring rubble for survivors, with 168 confirmed dead, 745 people injured and 30 reported missing across three regions, he said. DNA