Death toll of Indonesia quake-tsunami reaches 800

The death toll of Indonesia’s earthquake disaster has reached 800 and health officials have considered to mass burials to avoid spread of disease. It is being said the casualties will increase further as rescuers are ill-equipped. Meanwhile, it is also learned desperate residents have looted shops for food and water. Clean water is now scarce.

According to Indonesian Vice-President Jusuf Kalla the toll may be in thousands as several affected areas have not yet been reached.

Local TV channel footage showed waterfront homes appeared crushed in Donggala, which was the epicentre of the quake.

President Joko Widodo arrived the region on Sunday afternoon. Aid was trickling in too amid deployment of military. Search-and-rescue is ongoing and it is feared many more are still trapped in rubble.

The quake-tsunami struck Indonesia on Friday. It was massive with 7.5-magnitude. The main challenge now is how to access all the affected areas. This has hampering relief efforts.

A source said, “Aid agencies and local authorities are struggling to reach several communities around Donggala, where we are expecting there to be major damage and potential large-scale loss of life.”

A Palu resident said, “I have one child — he’s missing… I last spoke to him before he went to school in the morning.”

According to disaster agency about 71 foreigners were in Palu on Friday when the region was hit by the massive quake.