Nearly two weeks after Typhoon Mangkhut, the world’s strongest storm this year ravaged the South China Sea, killing over 64 people in the Philippines, a tsunami has hit the coastal Indonesian city of Palu.
The tsunami was caused by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake off the coast, according to the BBC, producing waves up to 6 feet that crashed through Sulawesi island, where Palu is located.
A video shared by @ksjnoona on Twitter, reveals the stark impact of the tsunami’s wrath. In the footage, high waves are seen completely submerging houses in water and destroying buildings. People can also be seen screaming and running from the rushing waters.
“The situation is chaotic, people are running on the streets and buildings collapsed,” Dwikorita Karnawati, head of BMKG, Indonesia’s meteorology and geophysics agency, told the BBC.
Indonesia is especially prone to earthquakes due to its location in the Ring of Fire — an area in the Pacific Rim known for its frequency of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
The country has already experienced several forceful earthquakes this year, resulting in over 500 deaths, according to AccuWeather.
Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a disaster agency spokesperson told the Associated Press, that the military will deploy troops to aid in the rehabilitation of the Indonesian areas hit by the tsunami, along with national police and disaster agencies.
Hopefully Palu and Sulawesi island can start to rebuild soon, now that the water is receding.
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