Indonesia tsunami latest: Aerial images show remains of eight-storey hotel in Palu where dozens feared trapped as officials say woman rescued from rubble

This aerial picture shows the remains of the eight-storey Roa-Roa Hotel in Palu
AFP/Getty Images
Ella Wills30 September 2018

Aerial images have shown the remains of an eight-storey hotel, which collapsed during a powerful earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia, as officials say they have rescued a survivor from its ruins.

Dozens were feared trapped under the Roa-Roa Hotel in Palu, where voices were heard calling for help from underneath the rubble on Saturday.

Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency said it has rescued a 25-year-old woman identified as Fitri.

It comes as rescue officials feared the death toll of the disaster could climb far past the more than 800 already confirmed dead, as several large coastal towns remained cut off Sunday by damaged roads and downed communication lines.

Rescuers work to move bodies of the victims after the twin disasters on Friday
EPA

The country's disaster agency said on Sunday that the death toll more than doubled to 832, and nearly all of those were from the hard-hit city of Palu on the island of Sulawesi.

The regencies of Donggala, Sigi and Parigi Moutong - with a combined population of 1.2 million - had yet to be fully assessed.

"The death toll is believed to be still increasing since many bodies were still under the wreckage, while many have not been reached," said disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.

He said a mass burial would be held on Sunday for health reasons.

Indonesia tsunami - aerial pictures show devastation

1/36

Bodies covered in blue and yellow tarps lined the streets of Palu, while rescuers dug through rubble in the hopes of finding survivors.

There was particular focus on the large hotel, where cries from beneath the devastation had gone silent by Sunday afternoon.

Aerial pictures showed the remains of the hotel in Palu
AFP/Getty Images

Officials had estimated some 50 people could be inside the hotel, which appeared to have toppled over with its walls splintered.

"We are trying our best. Time is so important here to save people," said Muhammad Syaugi, head of the national search and rescue team. "Heavy equipment is on the way."

Rescuers searched for victims at the hotel as dozens were feared trapped
EPA

Metro TV showed about a dozen rescuers in orange jumpsuits climbing over debris with a stretcher carrying the body of a victim from the modest business hotel.

Aerial images showed the shattered remains of the building following the strong quake.

Drone footage showed the extent of the damage across Palu
REUTERS

Central Sulawesi was hit by walls of water up to 6 metres (20ft) high and and a magnitude 7.5 earthquake that spawned the tsunami.

Aid and supplies were being sent to the area via military and commercial aircraft, including helicopters, to reach badly affected areas. Officials said the area was lacking medical supplies, fuel, fresh water and experts.

A mosque was reduced to rubble following the quake
EPA

Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo toured Palu on Sunday. He said rescuers were having difficulty recovering victims because of a shortage of heavy equipment.

He said authorities were deploying more heavy machinery that he hoped would arrive on Sunday night so emergency workers can help recover more victims on Monday.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo visited the damaged areas on Sunday
AP

Palu, which has more than 380,000 people, was strewn with debris from the earthquake and tsunami.

A mosque heavily damaged by the quake was half submerged and a shopping mall was reduced to a crumpled hulk. A large bridge with yellow arches had collapsed.

The city is built around a narrow bay that apparently magnified the force of the tsunami waters as they raced into the tight inlet. Nugroho, the disaster agency spokesman, said waves were reported as high as 6 meters (20 feet) in some places.

In one devastated area in Palu, residents said dozens of people could still be buried under homes that collapsed.

Hundreds of people were injured and hospitals, damaged by the earthquake, were overwhelmed.

Nugroho said 61 foreigners were in Palu at the time of the disaster. Most of them had been accounted for, but one South Korean was believed to be trapped in the ruins of the Roa-Roa Hotel, while three others from France and one from Malaysia were missing. The survivors were to be evacuated to the Sulawesi city of Makassar in the island's far south.

Communications with the area were difficult because power and telecommunications were cut, hampering search and rescue efforts. Most people have slept outdoors, fearing strong aftershocks.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in