Tsunami Havoc in Indonesia: 832 People Lost Lives after Earthquake Rocked Island Country On Friday; Death Toll Expected To Rise

Jakarta, September 30: The death toll from a powerful earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia has risen to 832 on Sunday. According to reports, The national disaster mitigation agency warned that the death toll could rise. Indonesian vice-president Jusuf Kalla said the final number of dead could be in the "thousands." Meanwhile, Indonesia President  Joko Widodo is likely to travel to the region on Sunday to take stock of the situation.

Many people are also reported to be trapped in the debris of buildings collapsed by the 7.5 magnitude earthquake which struck on Friday and triggered tsunami waves of six meters high.  Most of the deaths were reported from Palu. An airport in Palu is re-opened to humanitarian flights and limited commercial flights. Aircraft carrying food supplies landed at the airport. Injured have been evacuated to hospitals which are almost full.

The destruction caused by tsunami and earthquake in Indonesia:

On Friday, A strong tsunami hit the coastal Indonesian city following a powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake. The giant sea wave of up to 2 meters (6.6ft) crashed into the city of Palu, located on Sulawesi Island.

Last Month also, an earthquake measuring 7.0 magnitude on the Richter scale rocked Indonesia.  In the same month earlier, another earthquake of magnitude 6.5 hit Sumbawa Region of the country. In July too, over 680 people were trapped on a volcano on tourist island Lombok, after a deadly earthquake hit the island nation. Indonesia is one of the most disaster-prone nations on earth as it lies on the Pacific "Ring of Fire"-- the line of frequent quakes and volcanic eruptions that circles virtually the entire Pacific Rim.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 30, 2018 01:51 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).