1,763 dead and 5,000 feared missing – the numbers which define the tragedy of Indonesia’s earthquake

Officials in Indonesia say more than 5,000 people are feared missing after last month’s deadly earthquake and tsunami. The grim estimate came as officials confirmed that 1,763 bodies have now been recovered from hard-hit areas.

The search for survivors will end on Thursday, the country’s disaster agency has said. “Evacuation stops on October 11,” spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho confirmed.

Entire neighbourhoods disappeared in the twin disaster and were buried under mountains of mud and wreckage, making it difficult to know exactly how many people are missing. Houses were sucked deep into mud, burying occupants.

Many of the dead have been found in the city of Palu, while accurate figures for more remote areas have been difficult to come by.

Sky News