Earthquake death toll 832, dozens trapped
PALU, Indonesia: The toll from an earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia soared to 832 confirmed dead yesterday, with authorities fearing it will only climb as rescuers struggle to reach outlying communities cut off from communications and help.
Dozens of people were reported to be trapped in the rubble of two hotels and a mall in the city of Palu, which was hit by waves as high as six metres following the 7.5 magnitude earthquake on Friday.
About 16 000 displaced people needed clean water, while 540 were injured, many being treated in tents.
A woman was pulled alive from the debris of the city’s Roa Roa Hotel, where up to 60 people were believed to be trapped. Hundreds of people gathered at the wrecked mall to search for loved ones.
With most of the confirmed deaths from Palu, authorities are bracing for much worse as reports filter in from outlying areas, in particular Donggala, a region of 300 000 people north of Palu and close to the epicenter of the quake, and two other districts.
Vice-President Jusuf Kalla said the toll could increase to the thousands.
President Joko Widodo visited a housing complex flattened when the quake liquefied the soil it stood on, and called for patience. “I know there are many problems that need to be solved in a short time, including communications,” he said.
A spokesperson for the national disaster mitigation agency, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, told a news conference the affected area was bigger than initially thought, and rescuers had good access to only one of four affected districts – Palu.
“We haven’t received reports from the three other areas. Communication is still down, power is still out. We don’t know the impact for sure. There are many areas where the search and rescue teams haven’t been able to reach.”
He said teams needed heavy equipment to move concrete and debris.
Three French, one South Korean and one Malaysian were among the missing, Nugroho said. The 832 dead included people crushed in the quake and swept away by the tsunami. |