Nearly 400 people were killed and thousands of homes and buildings were destroyed Friday night after a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami struck the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.
As the Washington Post reported:
More than 384 people have died in the city of Palu alone, one of the two cities worst-hit by the tsunami, according to Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency. Rescue officials were struggling Saturday afternoon to reach the nearby city of Donggala, home to 300,000 people, and the surrounding areas after a large bridge collapsed. Authorities fear that the death toll, which was at 48 several hours earlier, could continue to rise quickly.
The estimated 10-foot tsunami that slammed Sulawesi Friday night was triggered by a 7.5 magnitude earthquake that hit the island just hours before.
Cellphone video posted to social media shows the moment a massive wave completely overtook several one-story buildings in Palu:
This footage shows the catastrophic moment when #tsunami hit the city of Palu after 7.7 magnitude #earthquake shook the city this evening. #prayforpalu #prayforindonesia pic.twitter.com/I8JBi4dZjz
— Ramadhani Eko P (@ramadhaniep) September 28, 2018
More than 500 people are reportedly injured, dozens more are missing, and the island is currently without electricity.
“At the moment, in our hospital, electricity is out all over Palu, roads are cracked, the phone network doesn’t work,” said Dr. Komang Adi Sujendra, director of Undata Hospital in Palu. “We are hoping for any help.”
Originally published by CommonDreams.org
