Devastation emerges from deadly Indonesian earthquake: At least 1,200 killed, disaster agency says early detection system failed
- The full scope of devastation in the city of Palu in indonesia is becoming clearer, days after an earthquake and tsunami hit the region.
- Citing government officials, local media reported at least 1,200 people were killed, with tens of thousands displaced. Many are seeking refuge in Palu's main airport.
- Local and military officials have arranged for a mass burial site in Palu for the dead.
- Reports indicate that the country's early detection designed to provide advanced tsunami warnings were not working.
The full scope of devastation in the city of Palu in indonesia is becoming clearer, days after an earthquake and tsunami hit the region.
Scores of people are thought to still be trapped in the rubble on the island of Sulawesi, which was hit by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake and a subsequent tsunami with waves reaching as high as 20 feet.
Citing government officials, local media said at least 1,200 people were killed NPR reported on Monday. Other estimates put the death toll around 844.
Officials have warned the number of casualties could rise as rescuers clear debris scattered by massive waves. Downed power lines have left parts of the city in darkness.
Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for the Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management, posted video showing the moment the tsunami battered the island's coast on Friday.
Nugroho also posted video of the moment when the earthquake hit the area earlier on Friday. People can be seen fleeing as buildings around them collapse.
He said at the time that victims could still trapped in the surrounding area, adding that Palu's Petobo neighborhood was devastated, and said there were still "hundreds of victims buried in mud."
ABC News confirmed that some victims were found "entombed" in mud, most of the casualties were caused by the quake and the tsunami, though hundreds of others were buried alive under soil that had loosened and collapsed after the earthquake in a process known as liquefaction. Special rescue teams arrived on Monday to begin digging.
Victims buried in mass graves
Local and military officials have arranged for a mass burial site in Palu for the overwhelming number of victims. According to Sutopo, officials worry that a delay in burying the victims could create a new health crisis.
According to The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, relatives have sifted through body bags searching for their loved ones. Victims in local hospitals have been photographed to help families locate their bodies.
According to ABC, local army commander Tiopan Aritonang said 545 bodies were to be brought from one hospital alone. The gravesite could be enlarged if necessary, officials added.
Across the island, around 50,000 people remained displaced as the main Palu airport was damaged and operating with only one functioning runway as of Tuesday, according to the Guardian.
Thousands of people sought refuge at the airport, which forced it to shut down temporarily.
Early detection warning systems failed
Reports indicate that the country's early detection warning systems were not working before the tsunami hit.
Officials confirmed to the BBC that a network of more than 20 floating detection units connected to underwater sensors which transmit advance tsunami warnings to the Indonesian meteorology and geophysics agency had either been damaged or stolen.
The system had not worked since 2012, and an apparent lack of funding hasn't helped.
"If we look at the funding, it has decreased every year," disaster agency spokesperson Sutopo told local media Sunday.
A tsunami warning was still issued, but it appeared to significantly underestimated the scale of the impending waves. Indonesia's geophysics agency warned of a tsunami nearly 10 feet tall, but lifted the warning shortly after it was issued.
Many people didn't recieve alerts at all because of non-functioning power lines and a lack of storm sirens along the coast. It is unclear whether the tsunami hit before or after the warning had been lifted.
"If we had a tide gauge or proper data in Palu, of course it would have been better," Rahmat Triyono, head of the geophysics agency, said.
"This is something we must evaluate for the future."