JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — The sun had just slipped behind the mountains, in what could have been a postcard from a tropical paradise, except for the long white wave stretching the width of the bay — getting larger and closer with each second.
By the time the fast-moving wall of water slammed into Palu off Indonesia's Sulawesi island on Friday, it was 3 meters (10 feet) high.
The tsunami, triggered by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake, destroyed the idyllic scene in seconds, leaving hundreds of people dead.
Experts said the long, thin bay running into Palu, a city of 380,000, squeezed the tsunami into a tight space, likely making the waves higher.
Disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo said the waves reached as high as 6 meters (20 feet) in at least one area.
