PALU: The Mercure Hotel here has been dubbed by locals as the ‘ghost hotel’ after more than 100 people were believed to have been buried alive following the massive 7.4-magnitude earthquake on Sept 28.
The five-storey hotel, which was a favourite among tourists due to its proximity to the Talise beach, sank into the ground when a tsunami wave crashed into it.
As a result, the hotel’s lowest floor sank into the earth, trapping many who were still inside.
Locals claimed that although 10 days have passed, around 100 bodies, mostly of customers and hotel staff, have yet to be retrieved due to the lack of rescue workers and equipment.
A local, Yulia M. Sohaimi, 34, said the stench of rotting bodies from the hotel grows stronger every day as there has yet to be a concerted effort to retrieve the remains.
“The rescuers could be focusing their attention on other areas such as Balaroa and Petobo as there are more victims there.
“The day before, a team from Indonesia’s rescue unit found the body of a man, trapped on the hotel’s second floor,” he said.
It is learnt that the process of retrieving the remains has been made all the more difficult due to the unstable condition of the structure, and the masses of bodies stuck in between the debris.
Based on reports, a French rescue team had used high-technology equipment to detect any possible movement from survivors among the debris, but did not receive any positive signs.
A resident of the Donggala district, Nurhayati Heryanto, 40, said the locals are now steering clear of the building as they realise that the hotel is housing many dead bodies.