Photos: Indonesia tsunami toll crosses 800, mass burials begin in Palu

Two natural disasters — a 7.5-magnitude earthquake and a tsunami that unleashed a six meter wave — have turned parts of Palu, Indonesia and the surrounding strip of coastline into a graveyard. As of Sunday evening, disaster mitigation officials said that at least 832 people had been confirmed killed. The toll, which has more than doubled from Sunday morning, is expected to climb, with heavily populated areas outside the city still cut off from any assistance. With the prospect that thousands may have been killed, questions have begun mounting as to why residents were not adequately warned, given the area’s long and deadly history of facing killer waves.

Updated on: Oct 01, 2018 10:32 AM IST

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1/11

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People survey a mosque damaged during a earthquake and a tsunami in Palu, Indonesia. The death toll, which has more than doubled from Sunday morning, is expected to climb higher still, with heavily populated areas outside the city still cut off from any assistance, and desperate search-and-rescue efforts continuing in the rubble of Palu, often with only rudimentary tools. (Tatan Syuflana / AP)

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Dozens of people were reported trapped in the rubble of several hotels and a mall which was hit by waves as high as six metres following the 7.5 magnitude earthquake on Friday. Most of the confirmed deaths were in Palu itself, and authorities are bracing for the toll to climb as connections with outlying areas are restored. (REUTERS)

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A man holds a family picture retrieved from a damaged house following a massive earthquake and tsunami. Of particular concern is Donggala, a region of 300,000 people north of Palu and close to the epicentre of the quake, and two other districts, which had been cut off from communications since Friday. (Rifki / AP)

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Rescuers evacuate an earthquake survivor from a damaged house. Nearly 17,000 people were rendered homeless in Palu alone, and many aid agencies were busy ensuring that their own staff members were alive and safe. (AP)

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Remains of a ten-storey hotel in Palu in Indonesia’s Central Sulawesi after it collapsed during the disaster. Indonesia, which sits on the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire, is familiar with deadly earthquakes and tsunamis. In 2004, a quake off Sumatra island triggered a tsunami across the Indian Ocean, killing 226,000 people in 13 countries, including more than 120,000 in Indonesia. (AFP)

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A woman cries as people assess the damage after the tsunami. The meteorological and geophysics agency BMKG issued a tsunami warning after the quake but lifted it 34 minutes later, drawing criticism that it had been too hasty. But officials estimated the waves had hit while the warning was in force. (Muhammad Rifki / AFP)

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President Joko Widodo (pictured) toured Palu on Sunday and said rescuers were having difficulty reaching victims because of the shortage of heavy equipment. Fuel, electricity and food are also in short supply. “There are many challenges,” Widodo said. “We have to do many things soon, but conditions do not allow us to do so.” (Antara Foto / Biropers-Kris via REUTERS)

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Residents affected by an earthquake and tsunami wait to be evacuated by military aircraft. Officials said rescuers need heavy equipment to shift slabs of broken concrete but access to many areas has been hampered by damaged roads, landslides and collapsed bridges. (REUTERS)

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People queue for fuel at a petrol station. The state energy company said it was airlifting 4,000 litres of fuel to help with the rescue effort, while the state logistics agency said it was preparing to send hundreds of tonnes of rice. As per media reports, the government has so far allocated 560 billion rupiah for disaster recovery. (REUTERS)

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Medical team members help patients outside a hospital after the tsunami. Television pictures showed scores of residents shouting “we’re hungry, we need food” as soldiers distributed rations from a truck in one neighbourhood, while footage from elsewhere showed people making off with clothes and other items from a wrecked mall. (AFP)

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People survey outside the flooded shopping mall which was damaged during the twin disasters. A mass burial of earthquake and tsunami victims is being prepared in the hard-hit city Monday. The grave being dug in Palu for 300 victims will be 10 meters by 100 meters. (AP)