Indonesia Tsunami: Palu airport closed, families missing as massive sea waves hit Sulawesi Island

Indonesian city of Palu was hit by tsunami after a powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake in Sulawesi Island, Indonesia geophysics agency said on Friday. Indonesian disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said that massive waves swept away houses and several families were reported missing. “The magnitude 7.5 Sulawesi earthquake caused a tsunami that hit the provincial capital of Palu and another city, Donggal,” Nugroho said during a live TV interview. Communication with the tsunami-hit area in central Sulawesi was down and the search and rescue efforts were being hampered due to the darkness. A video shot on mobile phone form the top of Palu Grand Mall purportedly showed tsunami hitting coastal area.

Also Read | Massive 7.5 magnitude earthquake hits Indonesia, tsunami warning issued

Indonesia Tsunami Updates:

# Palu Airport closed: Authorities have closed Mutiara Sis Al Jufri Airport in Palu, Central Sulawesi, following a powerful earthquake and tsunami.

# Government issues advisory: The authorities have issued a warning to people asking them to remain in safe areas and stay away from damaged buildings.

# Ship washes ashore in 2m Tsunami: "The situation is chaotic, people are running on the streets and buildings collapsed. There is a ship washed ashore," said Dwikorita Karnawati, who heads Indonesia's meteorology and geophysics agency.

# A tsunami occurred: The Associated Press quoted Hary Tirto Djatmiko as saying. He said that the agency was still collecting information and would release it after confirming its accuracy.

# First visuals of Tsunami in Indonesia: "I just opened my WhatsApp group and this Tsunami seen on Palu, Sulawesi. They recorded this from the top floor of a mall. Our friend's family confirmed this.. #PrayForDonggala," a user wrote on Twitter along with the videos of the Tsunami.

I just opened my watsap grup and This Tsunami seen on Palu, Sulawesi. They recorded this in the top floor of the mall. Our friend's family confirmed this.. #PrayForDonggala Celebes Sulawesi Indonesia 🙏 pic.twitter.com/vlTmDjCp3h

— WID (@wjjeje) September 28, 2018

# Tsunami hit Indonesian city of Palu: After a powerful earthquake that rocked central Sulawesi in Indonesia, a tsunami hit coastal cities of Palu and Donggal. Several families living in the lower areas were reported missing and houses were swept away by massive sea waves.