A dramatic video shows residents of the Balaroa district of the Indonesian city of Palu fleeing in panic as houses collapse around them during the powerful earthquake that struck on Friday, September 28.
Uut, a local resident, said that his house and others were in ruins, and that he and his family had evacuated north to Gorontalo.
An estimated 1,747 houses were destroyed in Balaroa, with some sinking 10-20 feet underground, according to the National Disaster Management Agency.
“We still don’t know how many people are buried in Balaroa, and also in Petobo,” said BNPB spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, referring to another area of Palu that was destroyed, “because the evacuations are difficult.”
He estimated 744 houses were destroyed in Petobo.
Soil liquefaction was reported in both Balaroa and Petobo. It is a phenomenon during which loose or wet soil acts like a fluid due to intense pressure during an earthquake. Evidence of liquefaction is seen in the video here, as the streetscape slides and collapses.
By October 4, a total of 1,424 people were confirmed to have died from the quake and subsequent tsunami, while more than 2,500 others were severely injured. A further 113 people were still missing, Sutopo said. Credit: Mohamad Nizar via Storyful
