Indonesia quake toll jumps as survivors grow more desperate

The death toll from an earthquake and tsunami that decimated parts of the central Indonesian island of Sulawesi jumped to more than 1,200 on Tuesday as disaster officials began reaching coastal areas that were cut off by blocked roads and downed communications lines.

Officials said hundreds of other people were severely injured, and that scores of bodies could still be buried under quicksand-like mud caused by Friday's magnitude 7.5 earthquake.

More than 25 countries have offered assistance after Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo appealed for international help. Little of that, however, has arrived in the quake zone, and increasingly desperate residents grabbed food and fuel from damaged stores and begged for help.

Rescuers have focused much of their attention so far on the biggest affected city, Palu, which has 380,000 people and is easier to reach than other hard-hit areas.

"We feel like we are stepchildren here because all the help is going to Palu," said Mohamad Taufik, 38, from the town of Donggala, who said five of his relatives are still missing. "There are many young children here who are hungry and sick, but there is no milk or medicine."
"Pay attention to Donggala, Mr. Jokowi. Pay attention to Donggala," yelled one resident in a video broadcast on local television, referring to the president. "There are still a lot of unattended villages here."
"Everyone is hungry and they want to eat after several days of not eating," Lassa said on local TV. "We have anticipated it by providing food, rice, but it was not enough. There are many people here. So, on this issue, we cannot pressure them to hold much longer."
"However, if you stand still and wiggle your toes and feet, you will probably sink a little as the sand around your feet becomes soft and unstable. This is similar to what happens during liquefaction."