The death toll from the earthquake and tsunami on a central in Indonesia increased to 1,234, reports Indonesia’s disaster agency. Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, agency spokesman, updated the figure at a news conference in Jakarta on Tuesday.
#BREAKING | Death toll in earthquake and tsunami in #Indonesia rises to 1,234, reports AFP
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The magnitude 7.5 earthquake and the tsunami it generated struck Palu and nearby areas on central Sulawesi island. Nugroho said 799 people are severely injured. He said the communities of Sigi and Balaroa have not been counted yet, hence may result to rise in the toll.
Earlier, one of the first evacuation flights from a quake-devastated region of central Indonesia landed in East Java. The C130 military transport aircraft that arrived at a military airport Tuesday carried dozens of people, including injured victims needing further care and treatment. It left from the city of Palu, where hundreds of people are waiting still to be evacuated.
According to the airport base commander in East Java, seven aircraft were ready to evacuate but crews had to be summoned to prepare for the flights. The situation is increasingly desperate in the severely damaged areas of central Sulawesi island where people are running short of food, fuel and other essentials.
