Heartbreaking burial plan for Indonesia's tsunami victims


WARNING – DISTRESSING CONTENT: Victims of the Indonesian earthquake and tsunami in the city of Palu are being buried in mass graves in a desperate attempt to stave off disease.

It comes after Friday’s magnitude 7.5 earthquake killed at least 844 people and destroyed thousands of homes.

One mass grave being dug in Palu will measure 10 by 100 metres, said Willem Rampangilei, chief of Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency according to ABC.

“This must be done as soon as possible for health and religious reasons,” he said.

The death toll has risen to atleast 844
Families search through body bags to find their missing loved ones. Source: AAP

The survivors of the disaster have been combing through hundreds of body bags in a heartbreaking search for their missing loves ones.

The natural disasters have triggered an immediate humanitarian crisis that has left countless residents in desperate need of food, water and fuel.

Most of the casualties were caused by the quake itself and a deadly tsunami that slammed into the coastline around Palu.

But hundreds of others were buried alive by a phenomenon called liquefaction, which occurs when loose soil near the surface gives way and collapses.

Scenes of devastation in Sulawesi
Scenes of devastation in Sulawesi. Source: AAP

“It is estimated there are still hundreds of victims buried in the mud,” one official said.

The death toll is expected to rise as rescuers access remote areas which have been cut off by debris and obstacles.

Most flights to Palu airport were cancelled because hundreds of people were blocking the runway pleading to get out.

-With AP