Indonesia – Earthquake And Tsunami Kill 384, Many Wounded (Video)

At least 384 people died from the quake-tsunami that hit Sulawesi island in Indonesia. The government has released on Saturday its first official death toll. The country’s disaster agency added that another 356 people were also injured in Palu where waves as terrifyingly high as 1.5m (5 feet) hit the city with close to 350,000 population.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">REUTERS reports &#39;Many bodies&#39; found after Indonesia tsunami, quake: national disaster agency <a href="https://t.co/cHTxLt9v5q">https://t.co/cHTxLt9v5q</a></p>&mdash; 🇺🇸Channel1 America (@channel1america) <a href="https://twitter.com/channel1america/status/1045932785528164352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2018</a></blockquote>

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Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesperson for the disaster agency, said that they have found “many bodies” along the shoreline of Palu on Sulawesi island. Their assessment and rescue operations, for now, are still being challenged since communications were cut. Nugroho said the number of the casualties and those affected by the disaster remain uncertain for now.

The tsunami was sparked by a strong earthquake that forced several buildings to collapse. Locals were seen fleeing their homes to go to higher ground as a churning wall of water slammed into Palu.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">TSUNAMI: Powerful wave sweeps through Palu, Indonesia as people flee screaming <a href="https://t.co/nJVbqPmfsw">https://t.co/nJVbqPmfsw</a> <a href="https://t.co/mW4qhK9n3X">pic.twitter.com/mW4qhK9n3X</a></p>&mdash; CBS News (@CBSNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSNews/status/1045811700409225216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2018</a></blockquote>

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Dramatic video filmed from the top floor of a parking ramp in Palu, nearly 80 km from the earthquake’s epicenter, showed waves of water forcing buildings to collapse and even inundate a huge mosque.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The moment a tsunami wave hit a coastal city in Indonesia sweeping away buildings<a href="https://t.co/RbuTRNhXu8">https://t.co/RbuTRNhXu8</a> <a href="https://t.co/nwCPNxALPz">pic.twitter.com/nwCPNxALPz</a></p>&mdash; BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) <a href="https://twitter.com/BBCWorld/status/1045726798330376192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2018</a></blockquote>

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Photographs also showed partially covered bodies on the ground near the shore, the morning after the tsunami hit the city.

Thirty of the dead and several other injured people were brought to a nearby hospital.

Nugroho assured that search and rescue teams have been sent to the hardest hit areas.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Scores killed as powerful quake and tsunami hit <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Sulawesi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Sulawesi</a>, Indonesia <a href="https://t.co/1280oDUuiT">https://t.co/1280oDUuiT</a> <a href="https://t.co/FaQFlobfKF">pic.twitter.com/FaQFlobfKF</a></p>&mdash; CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/CGTNOfficial/status/1045898924182056965?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2018</a></blockquote>

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Palu’s main airport has been shut down following the tsunami and might remain closed at least for the next 24 hours, which might make disaster relief efforts even more challenging.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The earthquake that occurred when the residents again performed the evening prayer at one of the mosques in Palu City.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PrayForPalu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PrayForPalu</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/earthquake?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#earthquake</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Donggala?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Donggala</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tsunami?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tsunami</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Indonesia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Indonesia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PrayforSulteng?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PrayforSulteng</a> 🙏🙏🙏🙏 <a href="https://t.co/Xtw3Qlhu8x">pic.twitter.com/Xtw3Qlhu8x</a></p>&mdash; Kholina em (@CholinsM) <a href="https://twitter.com/CholinsM/status/1045848504055156736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2018</a></blockquote>

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The quake on Friday was centered 78km north of Palu, the capital of Central Sulawesi province. The initial tremor was also followed by a series of aftershocks. It tragically happened just as evening prayers were about to start in the world’s biggest Muslim majority country. It also happened on the holiest day of the week where mosques happen to be at their busiest.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Indonesia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Indonesia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/mosque?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#mosque</a> in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/palu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#palu</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/sulawesi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#sulawesi</a> in three images: first everything ok, second after the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/earthquake?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#earthquake</a> (friday prayers I guess, so busy) and the third after the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/tsunami?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#tsunami</a> that followd. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PrayForDonggala?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PrayForDonggala</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PrayForPalu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PrayForPalu</a> <a href="https://t.co/WyYgAAQamX">pic.twitter.com/WyYgAAQamX</a></p>&mdash; Andrea Legarreta (@AndeaLegarreta) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndeaLegarreta/status/1045717790638911488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2018</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Our prayers are always with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Indonesia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Indonesia</a> May Allah help all the brothers and sisters who are suffering because of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/earthquake?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#earthquake</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/tsunami?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#tsunami</a> which happened few hours ago. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/palu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#palu</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/donggala?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#donggala</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/prayfordonggala?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#prayfordonggala</a> <a href="https://t.co/gdVzzMZ6uF">pic.twitter.com/gdVzzMZ6uF</a></p>&mdash; M.Abdulhakim Mahmout (@ahmahmout) <a href="https://twitter.com/ahmahmout/status/1045713998618873857?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2018</a></blockquote>

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Indonesia lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, making it one of the most disaster-prone countries on earth like its other Southeast Asian neighbors including The Philippines and its equally quake and tsunami-prone Asian neighbor, Japan.

Source:

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/indonesia-palu-earthquake-tsunami-dead-rescuers-10770998