The death toll from an earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia’s Sulawesi island has crossed 1,500, the disaster mitigation agency said on October 5. Over 2,500 people were severely injured in the 7.5 magnitude quake, and the deadly tsunami waves it triggered , on September 28. The tsunami that ravaged the city of Palu was outsized compared to the earthquake that spawned it, but other factors — including a long, narrow bay — conspired to create monster waves, scientists told AFP. Authorities scrambled to get food, aid and equipment to Sulawesi. The Red Cross estimates that more than 1.6 million people have been affected, according to the BBC.
The United Nations says almost 2,00,000 people are in urgent need of help. Damage assessment by the EU emergency mapping service, Copernicus, estimates that up to 3,000 buildings have been damaged.
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