Palu, Central Sulawesi, lamanqu.com–The death toll from the 7.4-magnitude earthquake, which was followed by a tsunami, in Palu and Donggala, Central Sulawesi, on Friday has risen to 832, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) announced on Sunday afternoon.
Around 821 victims have been found in Palu, while the rest have been found in Donggala.
Most of the deaths resulted from people being buried under rubble or being struck by the tsunami. The police held prompt and proper burials for the deceased after identifying them using the Disaster Victim Identification method and taking their fingerprints.
The victims’ data is currently being kept at the Palu Police office.
BNPB spokesperson Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said that the death toll was likely to rise given that rescuers had yet to identify or find many victims, or even reach some disaster-stricken areas.
The agency has also recorded that at least 540 people were injured from the earthquake and tsunami, and are currently being treated in hospitals. Meanwhile, 16,372 people are reportedly displaced and are currently occupying 24 camps around the region. (JL)
