Stealth Indonesia tsunami turns perfect night into nightmare

TANJUNG LESUNG, Indonesia (AP) – The tsunami that roared ashore in Indonesia, killing more than 370 people and injuring over 1,400, was particularly cruel.

It hit on a busy holiday weekend when many were enjoying the warm night breeze on the beach under a full moon. And unlike most big waves, which are typically portended by an earthquake’s violent shaking, this was a stealth attack.

There were no major ground convulsions, no sirens, no text messages.

A volcanic island rumbled as it has been doing for months before a giant chunk of it apparently broke free like a rock falling into a tub, silently unleashing a disaster.

Even in a disaster-prone country like Indonesia, survivors of Saturday’s tsunami said it seemed extra menacing because everything seemed perfect until it hit.