Indonesian Earthquake and Tsunami

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Sulawesi is an Indonesian island east of Borneo with a population of about 17.4 million.  This past Friday, September 28th 2018, there was a devastating earthquake and tsunami that occurred off of the coast.  The earthquake had a 7.5 magnitude, resulting in many aftershocks. The city of Palu was essentially hit the hardest. The waves that hit Palu were recorded to be about 6 metres tall, rather than the initially estimated 0.5 to 3 metres.  These waves annihilated the area, resulting in the destruction of buildings and the deaths of an ongoing number of people. Unfortunately, many people were unaware of the oncoming devastation. Despite there being an alert sent out to the people of the area, it has been discovered that this warning may not have even made it to the citizens of Palu.  According to Indonesia’s meteorological and geophysics agency (BMKG), there was an alert sent out after the first wave, and the warning lasted throughout the rest of the onslaught of the tsunami. However, the disaster agency has stated that the prior destruction caused by the initial earthquake rendered the area’s communication lines useless. Also, they claim that there are no sirens placed along the coast, which would have made any alert ineffective.  According to BMKG’s head of earthquake and tsunami centre, Rahmat Triyono, said that the warning system in place is essentially lacking. "In fact, of the 170 earthquake sensors we have, we only have a maintenance budget for 70 sensors," claimed Triyono in https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-45663054.  The initial size of the waves were gauged to be insignificant in size, and the 21 detection buoys had been either damaged or stolen, resulting in many horrific deaths.  
As of today, October 1st 2018, the death toll as a result of this disaster is up to at least 844 people dead.  Many suspect that this number will continue to rise. According to Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, head of public relations at the Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management: "Communication is limited, heavy machinery is limited... it's not enough for the numbers of buildings that collapsed."  In Palu, volunteers were advised to prepare for around 1,300 victims to arrive at the mass grave they were arranging.
Now, what could have softened the blow of this horrible tragedy?  Essentially, a more advanced tsunami warning system. The 21 detection buoys, previously donated by the US, Germany, and Malaysia, are either broken or have been stolen.  These buoys would have provided advanced warnings based on signals from deep sea sensors. Unfortunately, they have been unable to afford a new system. The agency that oversees these buoys, BPPT, has stated that the Indonesian government has put more effort into post-earthquake relief, rather than pre-disaster readiness.  

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