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29th Sep 2018

Nearly 400 people killed by tsunami in Indonesia, with death toll expected to rise

Nearly 400 people are confirmed dead after a tsunami hit the Indonesian island of Sulawesi

Carl Kinsella

Nearly 400 people are confirmed dead after a tsunami hit the Indonesian island of Sulawesi

Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for the Indonesian disaster agency, said 384 people were confirmed to have been killed in the city of Palu.

The death toll is expected to rise, with 540 injuries reported and at least 29 people reported missing.

It has also been noted that these figures only included the city of Palu, and that there are other affected coastal regions where communications are still down. While the tsunami first hit almost 24 hours ago, the devastation it has caused is only beginning to come to light.

Original reports had placed the death toll at around 48 people, but it is now clear that many more have died.

The area is without power and the airport for the region has been temporarily closed.