1-Year-Old Girl Found Buried Alive After Tsunami Hits Indonesia

Mimi Nguyen Ly
By Mimi Nguyen Ly
October 5, 2018World News
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A 1-year-old girl was found alive, buried under rubble and dead bodies in Palu in central Sulawesi, Indonesia, after a devastating tsunami hit the city Sept. 28.

More than 1,550 people were killed when a 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia, sending a tsunami to Palu and nearby Donggala on Sept. 28. A number of aftershocks over 5.0 in magnitude struck the region.

Wuhan disappeared for a day after the 20-foot tsunami engulfed her family’s beachfront neighborhood. She was found trapped under two dead bodies surrounded by mud and has since been reunited with her mother.

Her mother, Endang, said she is grateful her daughter is alive.

“I thank God because she has a new life,” Endang told CBS.

The Indonesian military has begun distributing food, water, and clothing. Endang received instant noodles and water.

Endang and her daughter are now homeless.

She told CBS they have been living in a makeshift tent in one of the camps since the disasters, and have been forced to drink water from a river that is also being used as a toilet.

There is no electricity and no running water in the area, and trash is overflowing and burning in the streets.

More Than 70,000 Homeless

More than 70,000 people who survived the earthquake and tsunami are now homeless, according to CBS.

Palu, a small city of 370,000 people, has been the focus of the aid effort.

International help in searching for survivors has gathered pace. Electricity has been restored and some shops and banks have reopened and aid and fuel are arriving.

The official death toll of 1,558 is expected to rise as more bodies are recovered in Palu, where most of the dead have been counted. Villagers themselves have been combing through body bags, searching for their missing relatives.

A video uploaded to social media shows the apparent tsunami that hit the area after the quake. The clip shows a large wall of water moving quickly before it slams into the shore and buildings on the shore. Screams can be heard as people look down from a tall building.

Sulawesi is one of the Indonesia’s five main islands, and like the others, is exposed to frequent earthquakes and tsunamis.

Epoch Times reporter Jack Philips and Reuters contributed to this report.

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