Indonesia earthquake: Search and rescue called off despite 5,000 still feared missing
Official efforts will come to an end despite it being feared as many as 5,000 are still buried amid the rubble.
Thursday 11 October 2018 08:54, UK
An official search and rescue effort following the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia has been called off.
The death toll from the powerful 7.5 magnitude tremor and subsequent sea wave on 28 September stands at more than 2,000, with 680 people officially still missing.
However, it is feared there could be as many as 5,000 still buried amid the rubble after large swathes of Palu, on Sulawesi island, were razed to the ground.
Rescue teams struggling to find bodies amid the wreckage have been hampered by mud hardening and remains decomposing in the tropical heat.
Indonesia's government has previously suggested closing parts of the city and declaring them mass graves.
Parks and monuments are planned at three of the worst-hit areas to commemorate those who may never be found.
"The search and rescue operation for the victims will end this Thursday afternoon," said Bambang Suryo, field director in Palu.
The official effort will end with mass prayers across the city, although volunteers and relatives will be allowed to continue their own searches.
An estimated 80,000 people have been displaced by the disaster, with many now living in tents outside their destroyed homes.
The United Nations has said 200,000 people are in dire need of humanitarian support in Palu, with clean drinking water and medicines in short supply.
After a rare appeal for international help, Indonesia is now trying to limit foreign involvement in the relief effort other than the provision of tents, water treatment units, generators and transport.
International organisations who deployed foreign workers to the region have been advised to "retrieve their personnel immediately".
Almost two weeks after the Palu tragedy, an overnight earthquake on Thursday killed at least three people in East Java where several homes were damaged.
The 6.0 magnitude tremor was centred at sea, 34 miles (54km) northeast of Situbondo city, and was also felt on islands Bali, a tourist hotspot, and Lombok.
The International Monetary Fund and World Bank are currently holding their annual meetings on Bali.
Some tourists and residents went outdoors on the island as a precaution, but went back to sleep when there was no tsunami warning.