Indonesian quake: aid from neighbours, and mass prison breaks
President Joko Widodo has relented and opened the door to international aid as the country scrambles to reach survivors
Palu — Indonesian authorities scrambled on Monday to get aid and rescue equipment into quake-hit Sulawesi island, and prepared to bury some of the at least 832 dead, while the government said it would accept international help for disaster relief. Authorities also confirmed there was a mass prison break in the chaos of the quake and tsunami. The confirmed toll of 832 dead looked certain to rise as rescuers slowly reached devastated outlying communities hit on Friday by a 7.5 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami waves as high as 6m. Jakarta wanted to show that it was able to deal with the catastrophe but four days on some remote areas have yet to be contacted, medicines are running out and rescuers are struggling with a shortage of heavy equipment to reach desperate victims calling out from ruins. In response, President Joko Widodo opened the door to the dozens of international aid agencies and NGOs lined up to provide live-saving assistance. "Last night, President @jokowi aut...
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