The Death Toll from the Earthquake and Tsunami in Indonesia Reaches 832

According to reports, as of early Sunday, the number of confirmed deaths following the major earthquake in Sulawesi, Indonesia, and the subsequent tsunami has reached 832. The Vice President of Indonesia stated that the number of victims could be "in the thousands." The 7.5 magnitude earthquake that struck Sulawesi on Friday has displaced thousands. The earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia have left nearly 400 dead. The epicenter of the earthquake on Friday was Palu Koro in Sulawesi, which has previously been the center of severe earthquakes in the region. This time, the earthquake triggered six-meter-high tsunami waves that reached the shore. So far, the death of 832 people, mostly from the city of "Palu," the capital of Sulawesi, has been confirmed, but rescuers are struggling to reach remote areas of the island. In Palu itself, the number of victims may increase, as the Indonesian government's disaster agency reports that hundreds of residents of this 335,000-person city are missing. Willem Rampangilele, head of the Indonesian disaster agency, told reporters that dozens of people are likely still trapped under the rubble, and many others were swept into the sea by the tsunami. At the time of the tsunami, hundreds of citizens were at the beach for a festival. Sulawesi is located almost in the center of the Indonesian archipelago between the Flores Sea and the Sulawesi Sea. Rampangilele stated that at least ten thousand people have been displaced in the city of Palu. Indonesian media have shown images of rescuers and military personnel being dispatched from Jakarta to Sulawesi, and images of tsunami waves, displaced persons, and earthquake casualties on the island have also been shared on social media. The Sulawesi earthquake is stronger than several major and deadly earthquakes in recent years in Indonesia, including the 2006 earthquake in Yogyakarta and the earthquake last summer in Lombok. The 2004 earthquake in Sumatra, Indonesia, with a magnitude of 9.1 and over 220,000 deaths, is considered one of the largest and deadliest earthquakes in the world in recent decades.