844 confirmed dead, many more expected Rescue hampered by atrocious conditions
THIS is the scene of almost total destruction along the coastline of Palu following the devastating earthquake and tsunami.
The dramatic aerial image gives a stark illustration of the immense clear-up job facing the authorities in Indonesia, as emergency workers comb through the wreckage in a desperate search for survivors.
Many people were trapped under fallen masonry and rubble from the earthquake before the tsunami struck.
Resident Nur Indah said: “The ground rose up like a spine and suddenly fell. People were trapped and buried under collapsed houses. I could do nothing to help.”
Yesterday – four days after the 20ft high wave surged through the city on Friday – Indonesian soldiers began digging a 300ft long trench as a mass grave for the hundreds of dead.
So far, at least 844 people in the city, which has a population of 350,000, are confirmed to have been killed.
However, that figure is expected to climb steeply in the coming days.
Army commander Tiopan Aritonang said 545 bodies for the grave would be brought from one hospital alone. Willem Rampangilei, chief of Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency, said: “This must be done as soon as possible for health and religious reasons.”
As a majority Muslim country, burials in Indonesia are supposed to take place within one day.
There are also fears that without immediate burial of the dead, disease could spread quickly among the tens of thousands made homeless.
The tsunami was triggered by a 7.5 magnitude earthquake in the early evening, at the top of the narrow bay in which Palu is situated.
Britain sent a team of five specialist aid workers to assist the relief effort.
International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt said: “Following a request from the Government of Indonesia… we are deploying a team of UK aid humanitarian advisers to the region, who will use their disaster response expertise to help co-ordinate efforts on the ground.
“I have made an initial £2million of UK aid support available to help meet the immediate needs of the most vulnerable people.”
Two survivors were pulled from the 80-room Hotel Roa Roa and there are hopes more could be alive after calls for help were heard.
But a lack of machinery has slowed down the search, with hundreds believed buried under liquefied soil.
Some coastal villages have yet to be reached as the main road connecting Palu to the rest of the island of Sulawesi is blocked by a landslide.
People suffering from a lack of basic supplies were also becoming more desperate. Some resorted to looting shops for food and water as they said aid had not yet reached them.