Palu: The death toll from a powerful earthquake and tsunami on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi has reached 832, state media said Sunday, as rescuers scrambled to reach the stricken region and survivors helped to retrieve the remains of those killed.
The official Antara agency quoted the head of the national disaster agency giving the latest toll in the coastal city of Palu, while authorities warned casualties were “increasing” as news arrived from remote areas cut off by the 7.5-magnitude earthquake and 1.5-metre (five feet) high tsunami.
At least 540 people had been badly injured, an agency spokesman said, as hospitals struggled to cope with the influx of casualties.
Indonesian president Joko Widodo said the military was being called into the region to help search-and-rescue teams get to victims and find bodies.
Some government planes carrying relief supplies managed to land at the main airport in Palu, although officials said it would likely remain closed to commercial flights for days.
There were concerns over the whereabouts of hundreds of people preparing for a beach festival that had been due to start Friday, the disaster agency said.
In Palu – home to 350,000 people – partially covered bodies lay near the shore after waves hit the coast Friday.
The post Indonesia tsunami death toll at 832 and expected to rise appeared first on NewsroomPost.
from NewsroomPost https://ift.tt/2NOHzjA
No comments:
Post a Comment