Indonesia races to save quake victims as death toll tops 1,300

The death toll of at least 1,347 is certain to rise, officials say, as rescuers reach devastated outlying communities hit on Friday by a 7.5 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami waves as high as six metres.

Rescuers search for the earthquake victims trapped in the collapsed Roa Roa Hotel in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, on October 2, 2018.
AP

Rescuers search for the earthquake victims trapped in the collapsed Roa Roa Hotel in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, on October 2, 2018.

The death toll from an earthquake and tsunami that decimated parts of the central Indonesian island of Sulawesi jumped to 1,347 on Tuesday as disaster officials began reaching coastal areas that were cut off by blocked roads and downed telephone lines.

Officials said hundreds of other people were severely injured, and that hundreds of bodies could still be buried under quicksand-like mud caused by Friday's magnitude 7.5 earthquake.

About 10 nations and the European Union pledged aid after Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo appealed for international help.

Little of that, however, has arrived yet in the quake zone, and increasingly desperate residents grabbed food and fuel from damaged stores and begged for help.

TRT World 's Ben Said reports.

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'We feel like we are stepchildren'

Rescuers have focused much of their attention so far on the biggest affected city, Palu, which has 380,000 people and is easier to reach than other hard-hit areas.

"We feel like we are stepchildren here because all the help is going to Palu," said Mohamad Taufik, 38, from the town of Donggala, who said five of his relatives are still missing. "There are many young children here who are hungry and sick, but there is no milk or medicine."

Along the coast, the tsunami, which reportedly reached as high as six meters in some places, shattered buildings, uprooted concrete and thrust houses and boats tens of metres inland.

TRT World spoke to Dany Merhy, deputy head of the Indonesian Red Cross, for the latest updates.

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Mass burials continue

National disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said in Jakarta that more people remain trapped in Sigi and Balaroa, meaning the toll is likely to rise.

Nugroho said more aid was being distributed, but "we still need more time to take care of all the problems."

He said 153 bodies were buried on Monday in a mass grave and that the operation continued on Tuesday.

AP

A man takes a photo of a car lifted into the air with his mobile phone following a massive earthquake and tsunami at Talise beach in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, October 1, 2018.

A special aircraft carrying 12,000 litres of fuel had arrived and trucks with food were on the way with police escorts to guard against looters. Nugroho said many gas stations were inoperable either because of quake damage or from people stealing fuel.

The frustration of waiting for days without help boiled over for some.

"Pay attention to Donggala, Mr Jokowi. Pay attention to Donggala," yelled one resident in a video broadcast on local television, referring to the president.

"There are still a lot of unattended villages here."

AP

A boy sits with items salvaged from the ruins of a family member's house in the Balaroa neighbourhood in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, on October 2, 2018, following Friday's 7.5 magnitude earthquake.

'Everyone is hungry'

The town's administrative head, Kasman Lassa, all but gave residents permission to take food — but nothing else — from shops.

"Everyone is hungry and they want to eat after several days of not eating," Lassa said on local TV. "We have anticipated it by providing food, rice, but it was not enough. There are many people here. So, on this issue, we cannot pressure them to hold much longer."

Desperation was visible in Palu as well. Signs propped along roads read "We Need Food" and "We Need Support," while children begged for cash in the streets and long lines of cars snarled traffic as people waited for gas.

AFP

Quake survivors scuffle to get live chickens being distributed from a police truck outside a makeshift camp in Palu in Indonesia's Central Sulawesi on October 2, 2018, after Friday's 7.5 magnitude earthquake and tsunami.

Thousands displaced

Teams were searching for trapped survivors under destroyed homes and buildings, including a collapsed eight-story hotel in Palu, but they needed more heavy equipment to clear the rubble. 

Nearly 62,000 people have been displaced from their homes, Nugroho said.

Many people were believed trapped under shattered houses in the Palu neighbourhood of Balaroa, where the earthquake caused the ground to heave up and down violently.

"I and about 50 other people in Balaroa were able to save ourselves by riding on a mound of soil which was getting higher and higher," resident Siti Hajat told MetroTV, adding that her house was destroyed.

AP

Indonesian soldiers assist earthquake victims to receive medical treatment at a field hospital in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, on October 2, 2018.

Quicksand-type mud

In Palu's Petobo neighbourhood, the quake caused loose, wet soil to liquefy, creating a thick, heavy quicksand-type material that resulted in massive damage. Hundreds of victims are still believed to be buried in the mud there.

Liquefaction of soil can be compared to walking on a sandy beach.

"If you walk across some wet sand a little back from the water's edge, it is usually firm walking, even though you might leave footprints," said Adam Switzer, an expert at the Earth Observatory of Singapore.

Reuters

An aerial view of liquefaction, or shifting ground, following an earthquake in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, on October 1, 2018.

"However, if you stand still and wiggle your toes and feet, you will probably sink a little as the sand around your feet becomes soft and unstable. This is similar to what happens during liquefaction."

Nugroho said generators, heavy equipment and tents are among the most-needed aid items. The countries that offered assistance include the United States and China, he said.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Tuesday that his government has given $360,000 to help victims and is in talks with Indonesian authorities about a second round of aid.

The initial funds are to go to the Indonesian Red Cross for the most obvious emergency aid needs, such as tarpaulins.

Large-scale destruction  

The coastline at Palu was strewn with rubble and a few brightly coloured cargo containers poking out of the water. Buildings near the water were ruined shells. 

The arches of a large yellow bridge rested in the water and eerie drone video showed a Ferris wheel, untouched, on a beach scraped bare by the waves.

Indonesia is frequently struck by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis because of its location on the "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin. 

A powerful quake on the island of Lombok killed 505 people in August, and two moderate quakes near an eastern island on Tuesday reportedly damaged a bridge.

The vast archipelago is home to 260 million people on more than 17,000 islands that stretch a distance similar to that between New York and London. Roads and infrastructure are poor in many areas, making access difficult in the best of conditions.

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