4 Taiwanese citizens safely flee quake-hit zone of Indonesia disaster

4名台人安全逃離印尼地震災區

As the death toll reached 832, the Indonesian government called for an international hand to cope with the aftermath of earthquakes and tsunamis


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Four Taiwanese nationals who had been trapped in the worst quake-hit city of Palu were dispatched to a safer place via an aircraft on Sunday night.

According to a statement from the spokesperson for Taipei Economic and Trade (TECO) in Surabaya, four Taiwanese, one businessman and three tourists, were reported to be trapped in Palu City after a series of earthquakes and a tsunami destroyed the island region of Sulawesi, CNA reported. They were transferred to Makassar via military aircraft and assisted by TECO with food and accommodation.

On Sept. 26, Indonesia was struck by a 7.5-magnitude earthquake, followed by volcanic eruptions and tsunamis that have led to many deaths in Palu alone.

The city of 380,000 people, Palu, was strewn with debris from the earthquake and tsunami, according to AP. A mosque was heavily damaged by the quake, and a large bridge with yellow arches had collapsed.

Hundreds of people were injured, and hospitals damaged by the earthquake were overwhelmed.

Although Indonesian authorities have been providing urgent disaster responses and life-saving assistance to the quake-hit zones, rescuers have yet to reach the epicenter of the disaster. The island country on Monday called for international support to continue dealing with the aftermath, according to AFP.

Indonesia is a country that suffers from frequent and deadly earthquakes and tsunamis due to its geological position on the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire. In 2004, a quake off Sumatra island triggered a tsunami across the Indian Ocean that killed 226,000 people in 13 countries, including more than 120,000 in Indonesia.