Tsunami warning system malfunctioned in Indonesian

Officials say vandals have sabotaged the warning system put in place after the 2004 tsunami.

Villagers in a string of remote Indonesian islands had no warning of a three-metre tidal wave that swept through the area on Monday, killing at least 343 people and displacing 20,000 more. Officials said the warning system designed to alert them of tsunamis isn’t working properly because two of its buoys have been damaged by vandals. The multimillion-dollar warning system was put in place after the catastrophic tsunami that affected much of coastal Asia in 2004. Rescue workers are still searching for survivors of Monday’s disaster but are having difficulty reaching remote communities because of bad weather and rough seas. Hundreds of people are still missing.