On Friday, September 28th at 6 pm, a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Indonesia’s central coast by the city of Palu. The earthquake lashed through the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, which activated a three-metre-tall tsunami.
Along with the city of Palu, the tsunami impaired the city of Donggala and numerous other coastal settlements.
Thankfully, at this time, no Compassion beneficiaries or partner churches have been affected. Compassion’s closest church partners are in East Kalimantan and Manado. If we learn that your sponsored child has been impacted, we will contact you.
As a direct response, the military began employing troops to the affected cities, along with the national police rallying to provide immediate aid. Immediate emergency relief was also provided by search-and-rescue and disaster agencies.
As of October 1st, the death toll has been reported to be at 840 — a number that is expected to be surpassed through search and rescue efforts.
Indonesia is a high-risk location to earthquakes because of its presence on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” which is an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin.
Please join with us in praying for those affected by this disaster—asking God, our Great Comforter, to be ever close to those mourning the loss of loved ones, as well as the loss of security and hope.
“For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.”
– Psalm 27:5
Source: CBC News