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At least 48 people killed after quake & devastating tsunami ravage Indonesian island (PHOTOS, VIDEO)
Scores of people have been killed in Indonesia’s Sulawesi island, struck by a 7.7-magnitude quake, which triggered a tsunami that swept through two coastal towns. Dozens of houses have been flattened, burying victims under rubble.
Harrowing images have come from Indonesia, showing the scale of destruction that the Sulawesi quake inflicted on the towns of Palu and Donggala, located close to the epicenter of the quake that wrought havoc on the island on Friday afternoon.
Kondisi pantai di Kota Palu pascatsunami. Kerusakan cukup parah. Bangunan hancur dan rata tanah. Beberapa korban meninggal ditemukan akibat gempa dan diterjang tsunami. Evakuasi terus dilakukan. pic.twitter.com/hQdJCr6ioB
— Sutopo Purwo Nugroho (@Sutopo_PN) September 29, 2018
The quake severely damaged roads, rending some of them impassable.
A large bridge over a coastal river in Palu collapsed and was reduced to debris.
Kondisi jembatan Ponulele di Kota Palu yang hancur akibat gempa 7,7 SR. Jembatan ini sebelumnya sebagai icon Kota Palu. Kondisinya hancur. Pascagempa tsunami menerjang pantai sekitarnya. Permukiman di bawah hancur dan terbawa tsunami. pic.twitter.com/4XrLrzHp1a
— Sutopo Purwo Nugroho (@Sutopo_PN) September 28, 2018
Spokesman for National Disaster Mitigation Agency, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, posted before and after pictures of the city’s landmark.
Kondisi sebelum dan setelah gempa 7,7 SR di Donggala yang berdampak hancurnya jembatan Ponulele di Kota Palu. Sumber gempa berasal dari Sesar Palu Koro yang aktif bergerak dan melintasi Kota Palu. pic.twitter.com/bMgbbsY23L
— Sutopo Purwo Nugroho (@Sutopo_PN) September 28, 2018
Rescue efforts have been hampered by a power blackout that hit the affected towns, making it impossible for the authorities to estimate the real number of victims.
Dr. H. Wiranto, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, said on Friday evening that the authorities were still having difficulties with receiving feedback from the regions severely affected by the disaster.
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He said that the government might have to resort to the satellite communication provided by the National Disaster Mitigation Agency if power is not restored by Sunday morning.
With the lack of official death toll, the national disaster agency says it's recovered at least 48 bodies after the quake and the ensuing tsunami that hit the coastline with 3-meter (10 foot) high waves.
The Palu airport has also been damaged, losing some 500 meters of its 2,500-meter long runway. However, the authorities assured that the remaining length will be enough for Hercules cargo aircraft to land and bring essential supplies to the hard-hit regions.
