A deadly 7.5 magnitude earthquake and a tsunami with waves as high as twenty feet, struck Indonesia on Friday, leaving at least 840 people dead and thousands homeless.
On Monday, the government made the decision to conduct a mass burial of those lost in the tragedy saying that “This must be done as soon as possible for health and religious reasons.” Local Army Commander Tiopan Aritonang said, Indonesia is a majority Muslim, and religious tradition calls for the burial of a loved one typically one day after death.
According to Fox News, Aritonang said, 545 bodies would be brought from one hospital to the grave.
All of the victims coming from hospitals have been photographed so that families can identify their loved ones and locate where they are buried, Fox News reports.
Willem Rampangilei, the chief of Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency, said the grave was dug in Palu, where the majority of the casualties have been recorded and is 33 feet by 330 feet.
At this time, the death toll is expected to continue to grow as rescuers reach areas that were previously cut off by rubble.
Military and commercial aircraft are delivering some aid and supplies, but rescue teams are in desperate need of heavy equipment to reach possible survivors buried under rubble.
People are also suffering from a lack of resources including food and clothing. A local…
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