23 Die in Earthquake-Triggered Tsunami in Indonesia

Indonesians gather outside their homes after a 7.7 Richter scale quake hit Padang, Indonesia, on 25 October 2010. Photo by EPA/BGNES

At least 23 people have been killed and over 160 went missing after a 7,7-magnitude earthquake hit Indonesia Monday night and triggered a tsunami, BBC reports.

The tsunami wave has washed away hundreds of houses in 10 villages on the Mentawai Islands, off the island of Sumatra.

The wave was triggered by the quake which struck 20 km under the ocean late Monday. The death toll is expected to climb with further reports about damage and injuries.

The population of the Mentawai Islands is not large, but they are a popular surfing spot.

So far, nine Australians and a Japanese national on a surfing charter boat are among the missing, Sky News reports.

The search and rescue operations are being seriously hampered by bad weather, officials have announced.

Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago, is prone to quakes and volcanic activity due to its location on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire.

Earlier on Tuesday, Indonesian authorities announced they have evacuated about 3,000 over a potential eruption of the most dangerous volcano Mount Merapi.

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