At least 384 people have now died on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi after the area was hit by a magnitude-7.5 earthquake.
Sept. 29 (UPI) — At least 384 people have now died on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi after the area was hit by a magnitude-7.5 earthquake.
The earthquake happened at about 6:03 p.m. local time Friday, north of the city of Palu in the province of Central Sulawesi, according to the U. S. Geological Survey. Citing information from the country’s National Disaster and Mitigation Agency, The Jakarta Post reported at least 384 people are dead and 540 are hurt. Another 29 people are missing.
The numbers are likely to grow, agency spokesperson Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.
Among the dead are Anthonius Gunawan Agung, a 21-year-old air traffic controller, who died after jumping from the fourth floor of his tower. Agung was ushering a Batik Air flight out of Palu’s airport after the earthquake, but during the tremors that followed, The Post reported.
When the building’s roof collapsed, Agung jumped from the tower. He died Saturday at a hospital.
After the quake, a three-meter tsunami hit the area around Palu, CNN reported .
