BANGKOK — As Batik Air Flight 6231 readied for takeoff, the ground began to violently shake in Palu, a city on the eastern Indonesian island of Sulawesi.
In the wobbling air traffic control tower, as other personnel fled, Anthonius Gunawan Agung, 21, stayed put, helping guide the pilot down the runway. Moments after the plane went airborne, the earthquake intensified, and Agung leapt out of the tower to his death as its roof collapsed.
As the pilot of the flight, Ricosetta Mafella, ascended over the coast, he noticed what he called on Instagram a “strange wave” — a sign of the devastating tsunami that would soon sweep over Palu and other parts of Central Sulawesi province.
The twin disasters — a 7.5-magnitude earthquake, and the swirling wall of water it unleashed — killed at least 405 people in Palu and destroyed thousands of buildings there, including a shopping mall, a hotel, seaside restaurants, and several mosques.
“We have found corpses from the earthquake as well as bodies swept up by the tsunami,” Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for the Indonesian disaster agency, said in a television interview.
Indonesian officials were preparing for a sharp rise in the death toll because search and rescue teams had yet to reach populous coastal settlements near Palu. Vice President Jusuf Kalla of Indonesia told a local news website that thousands may have died, with an unknown number washed out to sea.
The tsunami inundated Palu just as preparations were underway for a beachside festival with dances and other performances, and the festival’s security personnel were believed to be among the victims.
Although Indonesia is chronically at risk of tsunamis, Andri Manganti, a resident of Palu who lost his home in Friday’s earthquake, said that no warning siren sounded before the tidal wave — estimated to be a towering 18 feet high — struck the city of about 300,000 people.
Text messages that were supposed to warn locals of the possibility of a tsunami did not go out as planned because cellphone towers had been downed by the earthquake, Sutopo said.
Indonesia’s meteorological and geophysics agency is facing criticism for having lifted its tsunami warning little more than half an hour after the earthquake struck. It is not yet certain whether the devastating wave that was described by Sutopo as around 18 feet in height struck before or after the tsunami warning was lifted.
Sutopo said Saturday that as he was preparing information to alert the public about the tsunami threat, the warning was abruptly halted by the geophysics agency.
Video clips taken along a bustling seaside avenue in Palu appear to show two successive waves, battering the coast within a few minutes of each other.
I haven't commented until now because aside from the unimaginable destruction, I don't want to enter the weather weapon or other debate regarding the cause of this event. Natural disasters do occur; that doesn't mean even natural disaster is one or didn't get a big push.
I mean, I didn't hear a HAARP or anything, but the pre$$ attention makes me suspicious and I'm wondering what larger goals may be served (getting government and NGO access to Indonesia? Shipping routes in play?). I simply don't know.
A video taken from the seaside Palu Grand Mall shows the moments just before the tsunami made landfall and then its destructive force as the first wave swept over the beach, pushing cafes off the sand and into the street, where cars and pedestrians were soon submerged.
That is mind-numbingly freighting and terrifying to me.
In the clip, taken from an elevated parking garage just off the beach, a man can be heard yelling “tsunami” and calling out to God as he tries to warn those walking by on the road below to get to higher ground. On the horizon, the second wave is already visible.
Another video, taken just down the road, shows the second wave crashing over the roofs of one-story buildings, which then disappear beneath the turbulent water. The water surged around a mosque, whose large green dome had already collapsed, probably from the quake.
Indonesia, an archipelagic nation of more than 13,000 islands, is one of the most seismically active places on Earth and is regularly pummeled by natural disasters.
The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, which was triggered by a magnitude 9.1 earthquake and killed most of its victims in Aceh, claimed around 230,000 lives in 14 countries. It ranks as one of the world’s most devastating natural disasters.
Related: "A district in Indonesia’s deeply conservative Aceh province has banned unmarried couples from sitting at the same table in restaurants, cafes, or coffee shops, an official said Wednesday. The head of Bireuen district’s Islamic affairs office, Jufliwan, said the measure also forbids establishments to serve female customers after 9 p.m. if they are not accompanied by their husbands, fathers, brothers, or other relatives. Aceh is the only province in Muslim-majority Indonesia that practices Islamic Shariah law, a concession made by the government in 2001 as part of efforts to end a decades-long war for independence."
You should see the way they treat their Buddhists, and that is a tough one (this blogger is always for concessions that will end decades-long wars. What a surprise, huh?)
Since the 2004 tsunami, Indonesia has strengthened its disaster response. A new disaster management agency was created, with provincial units that can report quickly to the center.
Given the earth shaking that Indonesia constantly endures, the country remains woefully underprepared for nature's wrath.....
Just the very fact that the pre$$ claims it calls it into doubt (not the actual event itself, this is not a mass-casualty shooting event, but whether or not Mother Nature was given an assist).
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"At least 832 dead in Indonesia quake and tsunami" by Niniek Karmini Associated Press September 30, 2018
PALU, Indonesia — Rescuers struggled Sunday to reach victims in several large coastal towns in Indonesia that were hit by an earthquake and tsunami, and authorities feared that the toll of more than 800 confirmed dead would rise.
With the area largely cut off by damaged roads and downed communications lines, military and commercial aircraft were delivering some aid and supplies to the hard-hit city of Palu on the island of Sulawesi, and others in the region, but there was a desperate need for heavy equipment to reach possible survivors buried in collapsed buildings, including an eight-story hotel in Palu where voices were heard in the rubble. A 25-year-old woman was found alive during the evening in the ruins of the Roa-Roa Hotel, according to the National Search and Rescue Agency, which released photos of her lying on a stretcher covered in a blanket.
I don't think not would be much of a stretch to call this Indonesia's 9/11.
At least 832 people were confirmed killed by the quake and tsunami that struck Friday evening, Indonesia’s disaster agency said, with nearly all of those from Palu. The regencies of Donggala, Sigi, and Parigi Moutong — with a combined population of 1.2 million — had yet to be fully assessed.
‘‘The death toll is believed to be still increasing, since many bodies were still under the wreckage,’’ said disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.
Bodies covered in blue and yellow tarps lined the streets of Palu, and officials said they were digging a mass grave for at least 300 of the dead.
It was not immediately known when the burial would take place, but ‘‘this must be done as soon as possible for health and religious reasons,’’ said Willem Rampangilei, head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency. Most of Palu’s residents are Muslim.
Indonesian President Joko ‘‘Jokowi’’ Widodo toured Palu on Sunday and said rescuers were having difficulty reaching victims because of a shortage of heavy equipment.
‘‘There are many challenges,’’ Jokowi said. ‘‘We have to do many things soon, but conditions do not allow us to do so.’’
The stricken areas also needed medical supplies, fuel, fresh water, and experts.
It was the latest natural disaster to hit Indonesia, which is frequently struck by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis because of its location on the ‘‘Ring of Fire,’’ an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin. In December 2004, a massive magnitude 9.1 earthquake off Sumatra island in western Indonesia triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries. More recently, a powerful quake on the island of Lombok killed 505 people in August.
See: Back Down to Earth
Then two more hit.
In Donggala, the site closest to the epicenter of Friday’s earthquake, aerial footage on Metro TV showed the sugary blond sands of beaches swept out to sea, along with some buildings. Shredded plywood walls and chunks of concrete were scattered across the town. Much of the damage, however, appeared limited to the waterfront.
I saw photos and a few news reports yesterday, and it is devastating.
Palu, which has more than 380,000 people, was strewn with debris from the earthquake and tsunami. A heavily damaged mosque was half submerged and a shopping mall was reduced to a crumpled hulk. A large bridge with yellow arches had collapsed.
The city is built around a narrow bay that apparently magnified the force of the tsunami as the waves raced into the tight inlet. Nugroho, the disaster agency spokesman, said waves were reported as high as 20 feet in some places.
It would engulf you.
Looters targeted a badly damaged shopping mall, apparently unconcerned for their safety amid ongoing aftershocks and the structure’s questionable stability.
In one devastated area in Palu, residents said, dozens of people could still be buried in their homes.
‘‘The ground rose up like a spine and suddenly fell. Many people were trapped and buried under collapsed houses. I could do nothing to help,’’ resident Nur Indah said, crying. ‘‘In the evening, some of them turned on their cellphones just to give a sign that they were there. But the lights were off later and the next day.’’
That's where the print got cut off.
With hundreds injured, earthquake-damaged hospitals were overwhelmed.
Nugroho said 61 foreigners were in Palu at the time of the disaster. Most were accounted for, but one South Korean was believed to be trapped in the Roa-Roa Hotel, while three others from France and one from Malaysia were missing. The survivors were to be evacuated to the Sulawesi city of Makassar in the island’s far south.
Communications with the area were difficult because power and telecommunications were cut, hampering rescue efforts. Most people have slept outdoors, fearing strong aftershocks.
Indonesia is a vast archipelago of more than 17,000 islands that span a distance that would stretch from New York to London. It is home to 260 million people. Roads and infrastructure are poor in many areas, making access difficult in the best of conditions.
The disaster agency has said that essential aircraft can land at Palu’s airport, though AirNav, which oversees aircraft navigation, said the runway was cracked and the control tower damaged.
Sulawesi has a history of religious tensions between Muslims and Christians, with violent riots erupting in the town of Poso, not far from Palu, two decades ago. Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim country.....
Something like this kind of puts it all in perspective, doesn't it?
Who cares about that at a time like this?
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You know, it reminds me of another earthquake and tsunami that has been pretty much buried by the pre$$ even as it leaks 300 tons of radioactive water into the Pacific every day, day after day, for 7+ years now:
"Japanese utility eyes scrapping 2nd Fukushima nuclear plant" by Mari Yamaguchi Associated Press June 14, 2018
TOKYO — The utility responsible for meltdowns at a nuclear power plant in northeast Japan seven years ago said Thursday for the first time publicly that it will start making concrete plans to decommission another plant in Fukushima that narrowly escaped the crisis.
Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings said it will decide on the timeline and other details before formally announcing the dismantling of four reactors at the Fukushima Dai-ni, or No. 2, plant, which has never restarted since the 2011 disaster.
The Fukushima Dai-ichi, or No. 1, plant was heavily damaged in a March, 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami. Three reactors had meltdowns and a fourth had damage to its building. Decommissioning of those reactors has started, and the two others are set to be scrapped.
Additional decommissioning in Fukushima would mean all 10 of the utility’s reactors in Fukushima would be dismantled eventually.
Fukushima officials and residents have demanded the utility decommission its remaining reactors, saying uncertainty has hampered reconstruction.
The utility had kept mum on its decision on Fukushima No. 2, which has been offline since the tsunami, and its restart was thought to be a difficult proposition because of local protests.
In addition, its four reactors are more than 30 years old and would have required the utility to make huge investments to improve safety to get approvals for restarts.....
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The stuff is worse than sarin gas attacks and the ‘historic’ rains that caused the floods that broke the heat wave. That was before another quake followed by a typhoon.
I don't know what Japanes troops are doing in Syria, but she is dead now. She left her estate to an heir.
US Marine’s son wins Okinawa election on promise to oppose military base
Why do the Japanese hate us so much after all we have done for them?
(Blog editor removes tongue from cheek)
US Navy dedicates Japan-based destroyer to McCain
Time to head out sea and back to Indonesia:
How one Indonesian teen survived 49 days at sea
A real-life Life of Pi and "a story out of a novel."
"Ferry carrying 80 sinks in Indonesia’s Lake Toba" Associated Press June 19, 2018
JAKARTA, Indonesia — A night search and rescue effort was launched after a ferry carrying about 80 passengers sank Monday in a popular lake on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.
Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said the boat sank in bad weather at about 5:30 p.m. The 440-square-mile Lake Toba, formed out of an ancient super volcano, is a popular sightseeing destination.
Ferry disasters are common in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, due to weak enforcement of safety regulations.
Indonesia relies heavily on ferries to transport people among the islands. Millions of people have been traveling in recent days because of the Eid al-Fitr holidays.
At least 16 people died last week when a ferry with 73 passengers sank as it traveled from Makassar, Indonesia, to the resort island of Barrang Lompo. Authorities said that boat was overloaded.....
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Related: Divers search Indonesian lake for 192 missing after sinking
I would say take a bus, but.....
"Twenty-one people were killed Saturday when a tourist bus plunged into a ravine on Indonesia’s main Java island, officials said. The bus was carrying a group of employees from a private company from the West Java province town of Bogor to a tourist destination in West Java’s Sukabumi district when the accident happened around midday (AP)."
What they were on their way to see:
"Environmentalists say a tropical forest that’s home to critically endangered orangutans on Borneo island is being logged more than a year after Indonesia’s forestry and environment ministry ordered a halt to the forest’s exploitation....."
"Political storm brews after India nixes foreign flood aid" Associated Press August 24, 2018
NEW DELHI — A political battle is brewing in flood-ravaged south India, with the ruling party in Kerala state protesting the central government’s refusal to accept $100 million in relief offered by foreign governments.
Oh, yeah, here, too.
‘‘It is only natural for nations to help each other,’’ said Kerala’s top elected official, Pinyari Vijayan, as residents waded into the immense cleanup effort after floods killed more than 200 people and drove more than 800,000 into relief shelters.
The state finance minister said the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi must either accept a $100 million aid offer from the United Arab Emirates, or compensate Kerala by that amount.
Looks like an ultimatum.
Trying to shed its longtime image as a poverty-wracked nation, India has refused to accept aid from foreign governments since a 2004 tsunami, when New Delhi told potential government donors that India would contact them if it needed financial aid.
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NEXT DAY UPDATE:
"Quake survivors clamor to flee hard-hit Indonesian city" by Niniek Karmini Associated Press October 01, 2018
Back on page A8 now and I'm sure the coverage will stop rumbling soon.
PALU, Indonesia — As officials began burying hundreds of dead in a mass grave Monday, thousands of survivors of a devastating earthquake and tsunami converged on the airport of this heavily damaged city and clamored to leave, saying there was little to eat and their homes were unsafe.
Many people were believed trapped under shattered houses in the city of Palu’s Balaroa neighborhood, where the earthquake caused the ground to heave up and down violently, said disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.
In the city’s Petobo section, the quake caused loose, wet soil to liquefy, creating a thick, heavy mud that resulted in massive damage.
A test of some sort of new coastal weapon?
Residents who found loved ones — alive and dead — over the weekend expressed frustration that it took rescue teams until Monday to reach Petobo.
Desperation was evident across Palu, a city of more than 380,000 people.
About 3,000 residents flocked to its airport, trying to board military aircraft or one of the few commercial flights, local TV reported. Video showed some screaming in anger because they were not able to get on a departing military plane.
A ‘‘woman yelled, hospitals were overwhelmed, and Indonesian President Joko ‘‘Jokowi’’ Widodo authorized the acceptance of international help.’’
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Also see:
"A Special Olympics swim team member from Connecticut was walking with his mother on Ballston Beach in Truro on Saturday when he entered the Atlantic Ocean and was swept out to sea by a powerful wave, the Cape and Islands district attorney’s office said Monday. Ross A. Williamson’s mother tried to rescue him but she was knocked off her feet by the waves and injured, the office said in a statement. “Although Williamson was on a Special Olympics swim team, he was not a proficient swimmer and never went in the ocean due to the cold and the waves,’’ the office said....."
??????????????
Why did infanticide just come to mind?
Just threw him overboard, right?
"A Kingston, N.H., man was killed and another man was hospitalized after their boat capsized off Rockport Sunday, authorities said....."
"The now-shuttered Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant is going to lay off all but two dozen employees by the end of the month. Officials from Entergy Nuclear told the Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel Thursday the layoffs follow the transfer of spent nuclear fuel into an interim storage location at the Vernon facility. Vermont Yankee employed 600 people at its height before the plant ceased operation....."
