Photo: ReutersA New Zealand Defence Force Hercules aircraft has landed in earthquake and tsunami-hit Indonesia, bringing 8.2 tonnes of emergency aid. The C-130 Hercules and its 14-member detachment crew arrived at midnight last night. More than 80,000 people have been displaced and thousands of homes and buildings in Palu and surrounding areas have been destroyed. A multinational operation to fly aid supplies to disaster zones has been staged out of Balikpapan - a port city 380km west of Palu, he said. New Zealand aid to Indonesia has now topped $5 million, with the Government committing $3 million to aid agencies, including the Red Cross, and $1.5 million for “stand-by funding” for the international community’s relief efforts.

Source: Otago Daily Times October 04, 2018 23:03 UTC