Indonesia earthquake, tsunami live UPDATES: Officials scramble to rescue survivors as toll crosses 800

Indonesia is preparing a mass grave to bury its dead in the aftermath of the deadly 7.5-magnitude earthquake, which triggered a tsunami in Palu last week. For health and religious reasons, 300 bodies, which have been identified, will be initially buried.

Indonesia is preparing a mass grave to bury its dead in the aftermath of the deadly 7.5-magnitude earthquake, which triggered a tsunami in Palu last week. For health and religious reasons, 300 bodies, which have been identified, will be initially buried. As death toll surged to 834 on Sunday, officials warned that it is likely to climb much higher. Most casualties are from Palu, as the situation in outlying areas like Donggala, Sigi and Parigi Moutong, is yet to be ascertained.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who visited the region over the weekend, said there are many challenges hampering rescue efforts. “We have to do many things soon, but the condition does not allow us to do so,” he was quoted as saying by The Associated Press. Palu has a population of 3,80,000 people, while the outlying areas comprise 1.2 million residents.

A 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck the coast of Sulawesi island on Friday evening, which is about 50 miles north of Palu. It triggered waves as high as six metres (20 feet), which bore down on the city destroying everything in its path and killing hundreds.

Newsletter

These images show the Sun’s surface in greater detail than ever before

On Wednesday, astronomers released what they said were the most detailed images ever taken of the surface of our sun. As...

Magnitude 7.7 quake hits between Cuba and Jamaica, but no injuries

A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck in the Caribbean Sea between Jamaica and eastern Cuba on Tuesday, shaking a v...

US House passes bill on sanctions against Chinese officials for meddling in Dalai Lama’s succession

The US House of Representatives has passed a bill that authorises financial and travel sanctions against Chinese officia...

Squid Brains Are Nearly as Complex as Dog Brains, Researchers Claim

We all know that cephalopods are wicked smart, and their complex nerve systems go some way to explain their aptitudes. N...

Four Japanese evacuees from Wuhan taken to hospital with fevers

Japanese officials say four evacuees on a flight from the Chinese city of Wuhan have a cough and fever. Tokyo Metropolit...

US military recovers remains from Afghanistan plane crash

The United States on Tuesday recovered the remains of two personnel from a US military aircraft that crashed in Afghanis...