384 dead in Indonesia earthquake

International Desk: More than 384 people have been confirmed dead after a tsunami triggered by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake hit an Indonesian city on Friday.

Waves up to 3m (10ft) high swept through Palu on Sulawesi island.

Video on social media shows people screaming and fleeing in panic and a mosque among the buildings damaged.

Strong aftershocks continue to rock the city. Thousands of homes have collapsed, along with hospitals, hotels and shopping centres.

Rescue efforts are under way, though hampered by a major power cut. The main road to Palu has been blocked due to a landslide, and a key bridge brought down.
 

Indonesia's disaster agency said at least 384 people had been killed, but the number is expected to rise. At least 540 have been injured.

"Many bodies were found along the shoreline because of the tsunami, but the numbers are still unknown," Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for the agency, said.

"When the threat arose yesterday, people were still doing their activities on the beach and did not immediately run and they became victims," he told a news briefing.

Some survived by climbing six metre (18 ft) trees to escape the huge waves, the spokesman said.

 

Source: Agencies


risingbd/Sept 29, 2018/Mukul