Published 12:47 IST, October 2nd 2018
Indonesia Tsunami: Death toll shoots up, 1,200 convicts on the run after prison wall collapsed due to powerful waves. All details here-
As many as 1,200 Indonesian convicts are on the run after three detention facilities in the Sulawesi region were rocked by powerful waves in Indonesia.
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Update at 12.30 pm: 'Indonesia raises quake-tsunami death toll to 1,234,' reports AFP
Rescue operations are in full swing as Indonesia is on the path of recovery after being hit by a devastating 7.4 magnitude earthquake followed by a Tsunami. Even though Indonesia is burying its misery to start a fresh, a new challenge has surfaced for the Government to tackle.
According to the ministry officials, as many as 1,200 Indonesian convicts are on the run after three detention facilities in the Sulawesi region were rocked by powerful waves. As the water gushed in, the boundary wall around the prison collapsed.
A prison facility in Tsunami-struck Palu city, built to hold 120 prisoners, saw most of its 500 plus inmates storm past the guards when they saw no boundary that could hold them back. Another prison facility in Donggala faced a similar problem when the prisoners escaped to freedom taking advantage of the situation.
What we know so far:
• A 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit the island of Sulawesi on Friday morning, causing a Tsunami
• It is the most devastating earthquake to hit Indonesia since 2004
• The tsunami waves were as high as six metres in some places
• The death toll has reached to 800 plus and expected to rise sharply
• Bodies are now being buried in mass graves once they have been identified
• The city of Palu has been devastated. There is no electricity and drinking water is in short supply after the pipes were damaged
• Search and rescue teams are working to retrieve people trapped in the ruins
• Rescue operations are hindered by the lack of heavy equipment needed to shift the rubble
• Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo has arrived in Palu and is inspecting the damage
Indonesia, home to 260 million people, is one of the world's most disaster-prone nations. It lies on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", where tectonic plates collide and many of the world's volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur. A massive 2004 quake triggered a tsunami that killed 220,000 throughout the region, including 168,000 in Indonesia.
12:46 IST, October 2nd 2018