Death toll from Indonesia disaster tops 1,200

JAKARTA: The national disaster mitigation agency on Tuesday confirmed that death toll from an earthquake and tsunami on Indonesia’s Sulawesi island has risen to 1,234, from 844.

Indonesia was jolted by a 7.5 magnitude earthquake on Friday triggered tsunami waves as high as six metres (20 feet), which swept ashore at the small city of Palu, on the west coast of Sulawesi.

Many affected areas are yet to be reached by the rescuers, leading to fears the death toll could rise again.

Nearly 200,000 people have been displaced and are in need of emergency help, while thousands have been streaming out of the stricken areas.

Dozens of children were killed after being buried by a mudslide that slammed into their church with more than 50 others still missing.

Rescuers discovered the bodies of 34 students buried in the landslide, Indonesia Red Cross spokeswoman Aulia Arriani told a news agency on Tuesday.

"A total of 34 bodies were found by the team," Arriani said, adding 86 students had initially been reported missing from the Bible camp at the Jonooge Church Training Centre in Sigi Biromaru district.

Nigel Timmins, Oxfam's humanitarian director, said it could take weeks to realise the full extent of the disaster.

"It's not just a wall of water, it's a wall of water full of debris: concrete, trees, cars - everything being churned around like a giant cement mixer. It's like a huge bulldozer that clears away the land and afterward you're left with complete chaos," said Timmins.

About 1,700 houses in one Palu neighbourhood were swallowed up, with hundreds of people believed buried, the national disaster agency said.

There was also mounting concern over Donggala, a region of 300,000 people north of Palu and close to the epicentre, and two other districts - with a combined population of about 1.4 million.

Initial reports from Red Cross rescuers who had reached the outskirts of Donggala district were chilling.