Death toll almost reached 2,000 in Palu and Donggala on the Sulawesi Island in Indonesia hit by earthquake and tsunami on September 28.

According to officials, the number of people who died in disasters rose to 1,944 on Sunday. 2,549 people are still receiving treatment in the hospital.

Hundreds of people were stuck under the rubble while Indonesia National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) spokesperson Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said most of the bodies are from the capital Palu, Donggala, Sigi, Parigi Mountong and Pasang Kayu.

Sutopo said the search for the people stuck under the rubble was expected to be completed by next Thursday, but that does not mean that the search would end that day.

On September 28, earthquakes of 6.0, 7.4 and 6.1 magnitudes that triggered the tsunami ruined the Palu and Donggala cities on Sulawesi Island.

ILKHA