TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Coordinating Minister of Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan is currently coordinating with a team of experts that are tasked to identify and conclusively determine the cause of the Sunda Strait tsunami in order to better prepare for future occurrences.

Luhut explained the initial theory concluded by the team that has worked since yesterday; “This tsunami was not triggered by a volcanic earthquake but because of a flank collapse from a 64-hectare section of Mount Anak Krakatau,” he said.

This team comprises of experts from agencies such as the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT), Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN), the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), BIG, the Indonesian Navy’s oceanography and hydrography, and the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry (ESDM).

Read also: Tsunami Caused by Collapsed Section of Mount Anak Krakatau

The team of experts concludes that the flank collapse of the Anak Krakatau was enabled by massive amounts of loose materials in a steep slope that was triggered by the mountain’s tremors and high-intensity rainfall just prior to the disaster.

According to Luhut, the government is aiming to establish an integrated and holistic regulation under the supervisory of the Coordinating Ministry of Maritime Affairs as a long-term solution to better anticipate future disasters.

The theory was backed by data from the seismograph, tide gauge, satellite images, and 64-hectare interferometry data. The team is now set to launch a team to conduct a marine geology survey and bathymetry at the Mount Anak Krakatau after situations improve.

MUHAMMAD HENDARTYO