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1,400 Palu evacuees arrive in Makassar
They were transported by a C-130 Hercules military aircraft.
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Debris lays strewn on a street after a tsunami, which was triggered by a 7.4-magnitude earthquake, hit Palu, Donggala and Mamuju in Central Sulawesi on Friday. (Antara/Zainuddin Mn)
O
ver 1,400 survivors of the Central Sulawesi earthquakes and tsunami have been evacuated to Makassar, South Sulawesi, since Saturday, with around 69 of them being injured.
They were transported by a C-130 Hercules military aircraft.
Makassar’s Hasanuddin Air Base spokesman Maj. Henny Purwani said on Sunday that the injured survivors were being treated at the Wahidin Sudirohusodo Air Force Hospital and Sayang Rakyat Hospital in Makassar.
“Some of them [who originally came from different cities but resided in Palu] decided to continue their journey to their respective home towns. Those who chose to stay in Makassar are staying at the Siang Haj dormitory,” she said.
A survivor, Mesda, 40, told The Jakarta Post that she would continue her journey to Manado, North Sulawesi.
“Our home was destroyed. We have nowhere to live. We’re going to Manado, where my husband’s family lives,” she said upon arrival in Makassar.
Meanwhile, families of survivors have been scrambling to get to Palu to find their loved ones. Telecommunication signals are still down.
“I received reports that my brother, sister and niece are still missing. My parents are safe but I can’t talk to them just yet. I can’t sleep, I can’t eat thinking about them,” said Adi, 20, a Palu resident studying in Bandung, West Java, who flew to Makassar as soon as he heard the news.
Hundreds of people were waiting at the air base looking for an opportunity to fly to Palu with the rescue teams.
The authorities reported that death toll had reached 832. (swd)
