Government pledges $1.6 million to help Indonesian earthquake and tsunami victims

October 2, 2018

Over 800 people have been killed after an earthquake and tsunami hit Sulawesi, Indonesia.

New Zealand will spend $1.6 million to assist victims of the Indonesia earthquake and tsunami that killed more than 800 people, the Government has announced.

"As each day passes the extent of this disaster is becoming clearer," Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters said in a statement.

Mr Peters will visit Indonesia's capital on Thursday.

All but $100,000 of the payment will go to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies emergency appeal. It will be used for shelter and basic needs such as water and hygiene kits.

The official death toll stands at more than 800 but many more are still missing beneath the rubble.

The additional money will be allocated to New Zealand's embassy in Jakarta, so that officials there can respond to "other immediate needs", the statement said.

Indonesian officials believe the death toll from the earthquake and tsunami that struck on Friday 28 September could reach into the thousands as the search and rescue effort continues.

A wall of water that was up to six metres high in some places slammed into Indonesia's Sulawesi island following a magnitude 7.5 earthquake, causing the sea to engulf the cities of Palu and Donggala.

Among those in the tsunami's path were "tens to hundreds" of people who were taking part in a beach festival, disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said in a press conference.

"The reality is they are dealing with a terrible crisis," Mr Peters told TVNZ1's Q+A on Sunday. "We're a responsible neighbour in that context."

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