Liquefaction: When terra firma turns to mush

Having a paved surface does not protect you from the liquefaction

Jakarta (AFP) - Survivors of the enormous 7.5-magnitude earthquake and tsunami in Sulawesi, Indonesia that killed 1,234 people have given harrowing testimony of how the ground beneath their feet seemed to churn and suddenly rise up -- swallowing everything in its path.

In some cases, the ground swelled up several metres, sweeping away entire houses and communities and flipping hefty vehicles onto their roofs.