Missing toll soars to 5,000 in Palu

Deep in thought: A resident looking at a washed up boat amid a scene of destruction at Wani, Sulawesi. — AFP

PALU: The number of people believed missing from the quake and tsunami that struck Indonesia’s Palu city has soared to 5,000, an official said, an indication that far more may have perished in the twin disaster than the current toll.

Indonesia’s disaster agency say they have recovered 1,763 bodies so far from the 7.5-magnitude and subsequent tsunami that struck Sulawesi on Sept 28.