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JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) – The number of victims of the earthquake and tsunami on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi has already exceeded 2,000, the disaster prevention agency said Tuesday, while the authorities Were preparing to end the search for thousands of victims, fearing to be buried in the mud and rubble poor neighborhoods.
Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said the two twin disasters on September 28 had risen to 2,010. He added that the authorities would hold a prayer ceremony on Thursday to mark the end of research in the neighborhoods of Petobo, Balaroa and Jono Oge of the city of Palu, where the earthquake caused the liquefaction of the soil, the swallowing of houses and the burial of the occupants.
Efforts to recover bodies, many of which are buried under mud and rubble to a depth of 3 meters, will not continue due to the difficult terrain and advanced state of decomposition that rendered the bodies unrecognizable and unclear. could cause contamination, said Nugroho.
"On October 11, we will hold common prayers to Balaroa, Petobo and Jono Oge to end the evacuation of the bodies," he said at a daily press conference devoted to help. As official investigations come to an end, Nugroho said the authorities will not prevent villagers from continuing to search the ruins to find their loved ones.
The areas, now resembling large uncultivated lands, will be turned into memorial parks to honor the victims, and the survivors will be moved to safer locations, he said.
Nugroho said the disaster management agency has not yet been able to verify the unofficial estimates of Balaroa and Petobo village chiefs that 5,000 people are reported missing in both areas. .
He added that the region had recorded 508 aftershocks since the magnitude 7.5 earthquake, which has caused the formation of a huge wall of water that has destroyed large tracts of land in Palu and the surrounding areas. surrounding areas.
The disaster destroyed more than 65,000 homes and buildings and displaced more than 70,000 people. Thousands of people still live in shelters and temporary tents throughout Palu, but life is starting to return to normal in some areas and plans for redevelopment are underway, officials said.
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