Relief workers mobilized to help devastated areas and rescue teams desperately hunted for survivors Monday in the aftermath of a fierce earthquake and tsunami that hammered Indonesia, killing hundreds.
More than 840 people have been confirmed dead in the twin disasters that unfolded Friday when a magnitude-7.5 quake triggered a tsunami that swallowed homes and pulverized neighborhoods. That number is expected to rise as first responders reach remote areas.
Conditions in the hard-hit city of Palu on the coast are particularly difficult because the quake caused a phenomenon called liquefaction, which occurs when loose water-filled soil near the surface collapses, said the country’s disaster agency spokesman, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.
“Hundreds of victims” are still buried in the mud, he said.
Relief groups, many of which have a long history in Indonesia, are facing a daunting task less than two months after another quake rocked the nation’s Lombok Island, killing more than 400 people and displacing thousands.
Flooding from Friday’s tsunami cut off roads to some villages, and food and clean water are in short supply. Some groups are having to travel 10 hours to reach the disaster zone because of access issues, the Red Cross reports. Looters are also making security an issue.
Thousands of people, mostly women with children – some pregnant – packed the airport in Palu in a futile attempt to board an Indonesian Air Force plane to escape the disaster.
“The smell of death is strong in the air, and it could start impacting people’s health after four days … I’m afraid the death toll is going to continue to rise dramatically,” said Radika Pinto, with humanitarian aid agency World Vision in Palu.
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SOURCE: USA Today, Susan Miller
A love letter to the viewer,
If you know that you have not trusted God’s Son, Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, and you know that you do not have a home in Heaven waiting for you when you die, here is how you can trust Jesus Christ as your Saviour and be saved today and have a home in Heaven when you die,
- First, please understand that you are a sinner, just as I am, and that you have broken God’s laws. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
- Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
- Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Now this is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
- Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.
- Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
- If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your Salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you just trusted Jesus Christ as your Saviour, and you prayed that prayer and meant it from your heart, I declare to you that based upon the Word of God, you are now saved from Hell and you are on your way to Heaven. Welcome to the family of God! Congratulations on trusting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. You have done the most important thing in life. For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to GospelLightSociety.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door“. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door, by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you!
