Over 150,000 People May be Trapped Under Rubble in Quake-Hit Sulawesi - Reports

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - About 152,000 people may still remain trapped under the rubble on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, which was hit by a powerful earthquake and a subsequent tsunami, Bernama reported on Saturday citing Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Acmad Ramadan.

So far rescuers have recovered "1,558 bodies of victims who were mostly buried alive," Ramadan said as quoted by Bernama news agency.

READ MORE: Strong 7.4 Quake Shakes Indonesia's Sulawesi Island — Seismological Center

A total of 65,733 homes were destroyed as a result of the disaster, the publication said.

On September 28, a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit Sulawesi, triggering a tsunami wave which struck the city of Palu and the Donggala area in Central Sulawesi.

The international community, including Russia, has actively responded with offers of relief aid to Indonesia.