Death Toll Rises To 1,234 In Indonesia Earthquake Disaster
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PALU, Indonesia (AP) — The latest on a powerful earthquake and tsunami that hit part of central Indonesia:
2:50 p.m.
Indonesia’s disaster agency says the death toll from an earthquake and tsunami disaster on a central island is now 1,234.
Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho updated the figure at a news conference in Jakarta on Tuesday afternoon.
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, meaning the toll is likely to rise.
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2 p.m.
One of the first evacuation flights from a quake-devastated region of central Indonesia has 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.
Andi Wijaya, the airport base commander in East Java, says 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. Friday’s magnitude 7.5 earthquake and the tsunami it generated caused at least 840 deaths but some areas outside Palu have yet to be reached.
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12:50 p.m.
Australia’s government has given financial aid to help victims of Indonesia’s earthquake and tsunami and was talking with Indonesian authorities about sending more.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said 500,000 Australian dollars ($360,000) in initial funding was given to the Indonesian Red Cross for the most obvious emergency aid needs, such as tarpaulins.
Australia’s ambassador was consulting the Indonesian government on more support.
Morrison told reporters in the west coast city of Perth that Australia was looking at how to best fit the needs of its neighbors in their time of need and that Australia’s support wouldn’t only be in the short-term.
