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Indonesia, one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries, was struck by twin disasters on Friday — a 7.5 magnitude massive earthquake triggered a tsunami that unleashed an 18-foot wave, which turned parts of Palu and the surrounding strip of coastline into a graveyard. A tsunami warning was issued after the earthquake hit, but many people in the region could not receive alerts because of power cuts caused by the tremor. The current death toll is at least 844 now, and officials fear it could climb far past that figure as several large coastal towns still remain cut off by damaged roads and downed communication lines. Volunteers have begun burying victims of Indonesia’s deadly earthquake and tsunami in mass graves, while many people are still looking for missing loved ones. It is estimated that nearly 17,000 people were made homeless by the earthquake and tsunami in Palu alone.
