Indonesia Earthquake 400 People Dead

About 400 people have been killed in Indonesia after a strong earthquake. The number is expected to rise. At least more than 500 have been injured. A few days ago a tsunami hit an Indonesian city. It was caused by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake.

After the disaster, the situation is critical. Thousands of homes have collapsed, along with hospitals, hotels and a shopping center. There are many bodies along the shoreline because of the tsunami. It dragged cars, logs and houses. Many people were doing their activities on the beach when the catastrophe arrived and they became victims.

People including dancers were still busy on the beach in Palu (population: 335,000), preparing for a festival, and were caught when waves up to 3m (10ft) in height swept in. Video on social media shows people screaming and fleeing in panic. Some people survived by climbing 6m trees. At the moment 29 people are listed as missing.

The earthquake hit just off central Sulawesi at a depth of 10km (6.2 miles) just before 18:00 on Friday (10:00 GMT), the US Geological Survey said. The situation is chaotic. The population are scared. They are running on the street to prevent a similar disaster, President Joko Widodo said troops were en route to the area to reinforce rescue teams and help retrieve bodies. The main airport in Palu has been closed since the tsunami hit. Officials are urging locals not to enter their homes and to sleep away from buildings, due to the risk of aftershocks.

It is not the first terrifying earthquake in Indonesia. Just last month, a series of deadly earthquakes struck the Indonesian island of Lombok. On 5 August was the biggest one. It killed more than 460 people.  A 2004 tsunami triggered by an earthquake off the Indonesian island of Sumatra killed 226,000 across the Indian Ocean, including more than 120,000 in Indonesia.