Indonesia earthquake, tsunami death toll exceeds 1200

09:50, 1 October, 2018

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 1, ARMENPRESS. The death toll in the recent Indonesia earthquakes and a subsequent tsunami has exceeded 1,200 people, media reported.

Earlier the death toll was put at 832.

On Friday, a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit off the Indonesian island of Sulawesi and was followed by two 5.8-magnitude tremors. A tsunami struck the city of Palu and the Donggala area of Central Sulawesi Province shortly afterward.

About 2.4 million people in Palu and Donggala need humanitarian aid, local authorities said.

Dozens of people were reported to be trapped in the rubble of several hotels and a mall in the city of Palu, on Sulawesi island, which was hit by waves as high as six meters.

Most of the confirmed deaths were in Palu itself.

Of particular concern is Donggala, a region of 300,000 people north of Palu and close to the epicenter of the quake, and two other districts, which has been cut off from communications since Friday.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

 


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