The news out of Indonesia isn’t getting any better, with the death toll now may clock over the 5000 mark after officials confirm that thousands are still missing.
Last week Indonesia’s Palu was rocked to its core after being hit by a devastating earthquake and tsunami.
The nation is still reeling from the disaster, with 1,944 confirmed to be dead and at least 5,000 still missing.
Officials are calculating the death toll could be between five to seven thousand.
At this stage, bodies are still being found.
RELATED: Indonesia’s quake and tsunami in Palu had no warning
A member from the Indonesian government shared, “The death toll is expected to rise, because we have not received orders to halt the search for bodies.”
Officials are saying that the search will end soon, with some believing it could be as soon as Thursday. The worst areas will be sealed off becoming a mass grave.
On September 28, a series of earthquakes hit the northern island of Sulawesi. A 7.5-magnitude tremor happened in Palu City, resulting in a tsunami.
Haris Kariming, a spokesman for the provincial government, told reporters in Palu, “We will build a monument, and in the future we will create green spaces there.”
But the locals are devastated that the search could end so soon.
Halimah Ariav Kobo’s 25-year-old daughter Ummu Kalsum is among the missing.
“If they flatten this place to become a cemetery, what about all the bodies that have not been taken out?” Kobo told AFP.
“I hope my child is found, in whatever condition. I want to take her home and bury her in a proper way. As a mother, I will not leave this place until the search is finished.”
The nation is in desperate need of aid. Australia has donated over $11 million while tech companies Apple and Google have given $1 million US each.
As of Monday, the Red Cross had treated over 1,800 people – but more help is needed.
If you’d like to donate, go to the Indonesian earthquake and tsunami appeal at redcross.org.au or by calling 1800 Red Cross.
For more on the disaster, and how Australia is helping – pick up the latest issue of WHO magazine.
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