Toll Tops to 800 in Indonesia Quake, Tsunami

Dozens of people were reported to be trapped in the rubble of two hotels and a mall in the city of Palu, buildings brought down in the 7.5 magnitude earthquake, which struck Friday and triggered tsunami waves as high as 6 meters (20 feet), agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told a news conference.

A young woman was pulled alive from the rubble of the Roa Roa Hotel, the news website Detik.com reported. Hotel owner Ko Jefry told Metro TV Saturday that up to 60 people were believed trapped. Hundreds of people gathered at the mall searching for loved ones.
“We’ve got information from people that their relatives are still inside, so we’re focusing on that, especially to find survivors,” a rescuer identified as Yusuf, working at the ruins of the mall, told Metro TV.
Bracing for more casualties
Authorities are bracing for more casualty reports to filter in from outlying areas, in particular, Donggala, a region of 300,000 people north of Palu and closer to the epicenter of the quake.
Vice President Jusuf Kalla said the toll could rise into the thousands.

A disaster official said the tsunami traveled across the sea at speeds of 800 kph (500 mph) before striking the shore, and casualties could have been caused along a 300 km (200 miles) stretch of coast, north and south of Palu.
Donggala town has been extensively damaged, with houses swept into the sea and bodies trapped in debris, according to a Metro TV reporter on the scene.
The Red Cross said it had heard nothing from the Donggala region.
“This is extremely worrying,” it said in a statement. “This is already a tragedy, but it could get much worse.”
National search and rescue agency chief Muhammad Syaugi told Reuters rescuers were flying to Donggala by helicopter.