Health warnings issued after more bodies recovered in Indonesia

Relief and rescue operations continue in Indonesia after a massive earthquake and tsunami, as time runs out to find survivors one week after the dual disasters struck Sulawesi Island.
According to the Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management on Saturday, the death toll from the quake and tsunami has risen to 1,649.
More than 70,000 homes were destroyed or damaged by the magnitude-7.5 quake that struck on September 28, launching waves as high as six meters that slammed into Sulawesi at 800 km/h.
Rescuers issued a fresh public health warning on Saturday as more decaying corpses were unearthed from beneath the ruined city of Palu.
There are fears that vast numbers of bodies could be buried beneath Petobo and Balaroa – two areas virtually wiped off the map.
“Most of the bodies we have found are not intact and that poses a danger for the rescuers. We have to be very careful to avoid contamination,” Yusuf Latif, a spokesman for the country’s search and rescue effort told the AFP news agency.
“We have vaccinated out teams, but we need to be extra cautious as they are exposed to health hazards. This is also a health concern for the public. It is very hard to control the crowd … people might be exposed to danger.”
Also on Saturday, passengers faced a long wait at Palu airport due to cancellations, delays and overbooking of commercial flights, according to Al Jazeera’s Ted Regencia who was reporting from the disaster-struck region.
Some passengers, with bookings from Friday, were only accommodated by the airlines the following day.
Parts of the city, meanwhile, were trying to return to normality, with some shops and food stalls opening and electricity restored.
In Palu, parks have become refugee camps for those whose houses have been destroyed and have nowhere else to go.
Many are sleeping in the open, waiting for assistance.
“There is still a lack of basic supplies in the affected areas, including here in the heart of Palu city where people have been camping for a week,” said Al Jazeera’s Wayne Hay.
“Despite all the money from the Indonesian government and offers of assistance from foreign governments, no one has been able to supply these people with temporary toilets or adequate shelter,” he said, reporting from Palu.
Refugees say they are grateful for the land to sleep on, but they need more help.
“I can tell you there are some toilets over there, but they are full of excrement so I eat only once a day so I don’t have to go,” said Haji Ratnawati Tawaka, a Palu resident.
The United Nations has said it is seeking $50.5m “for immediate relief” to help victims of the devastating quake and tsunami in Indonesia.
The UN plan, published on Friday and developed in consultation with Indonesian government officials, outlined “how the humanitarian community working in the country will provide targeted, technical assistance”.
The UN plan aims to provide help to 191,000 people over the next three months, according to a statement by the global body’s Indonesia office.
According to UN estimates, 65,000 homes have suffered some form of damage, a figure that includes 10,000 homes “completely destroyed by the tsunami” and 15,000 homes severely damaged by the earthquake.
Hundreds of people gathered at Talise beach in Palu on Friday to attend a mass prayer for the victims one week after disaster wreaked havoc in the Muslim island of Sulawesi.
With many of the mosques completely destroyed by tsunami waves, Friday prayers were held outside in different parts of Palu city.