World
09:04, 26-Dec-2018
2018 in review: Natural disasters lay waste to Indonesia's paradise
Updated
08:27, 29-Dec-2018
["other","Indonesia"]
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Another tsunami struck the beaches around Indonesia's Sunda Strait on December 22, leaving hundreds dead.
Tsunamis are a common occurrence in Indonesia and can change the fate of residents overnight, such as when a 7.5-magnitude earthquake and its ensuing tsunami struck the Indonesian province of Central Sulawesi in late September.
The deadliest earthquake to hit the country since the 2006 Yogyakarta quake left at least 2,100 people dead, 10,700 seriously injured and nearly 700 missing. The disaster left a trail of devastation along its way, sweeping away or destroying over 68,000 houses and displacing an estimated 212,000 residents.
The provincial capital of Palu, famed for its palm-fringed bays and white sand beaches, was hardest hit. Reconstruction started in early November and is expected to be complete within four years. For locals, life is starting to return to normal amid debris and rubble.