Indonesian Tsunami Death Toll Moves Past 800

After crunching the numbers and reviewing the facts, scientists have expressed surprise at the size of the tsunami that devastated the Indonesian city of Palu at the weekend, concluding that the tsunami that was born from the quake was far more destructive than imagined.  “We expected it might cause a tsunami, just not one that big,” said Jason Patton, a geophysicist at Humboldt State University in California. “When events like this happen, we are more likely to discover things that we haven’t observed before,” adds Patton.  As it stands the confirmed death toll has risen to over 840.  Jusuf Kalla, the vice-president, has warned that the figure is expected to rise into the thousands. In just 30 minutes, by some accounts, waves as high as 18 feet crashed into the city, destroying buildings, smashing vehicles and obliterating everything in its wake.  Thalib Bawano, a volunteer, told AFP news that three people had been rescued from the hotel rubble, where more than 50 people may be trapped. “We also heard voices at several points, including a child, they were asking for help, but they are still there till now. We gave them motivation… so they can have spirit because they are trapped between […]