Indonesia government knew of liquefaction danger before quake
Six years ago, the Indonesian government’s own experts drew a map that highlighted many areas in Palu where there was a high risk of liquefaction.
The Indonesian government has declared an end to the emergency response phase following the earthquake and tsunami a month ago.
With large parts of Sulawesi island still in ruins, the focus is switching to rehabilitation and reconstruction.
The government said geological considerations will be taken into account during the rebuild, which some have said should have happened years ago.
Many residents said that they had never heard of “liquefaction” prior to the disaster, despite the government’s experts having created a map six years ago that emphasised the risk of liquefaction in areas that were affected by the earthquake.
Al Jazeera’s Wayne Hay reports from Palu.