Indonesia Death Toll Passes 1,500: Body Bags Line Roads, Smell 'Almost Unbearable'

Scenes of body bags lining roads, with the smell becoming "almost unbearable," are emerging from Indonesia, as the death toll from last week's earthquake and tsunami has climbed to over 1,500.

"In Balaroa village, on the outskirts of Palu, everything is destroyed. The streets are ruined and there's no water or sanitation facilities for people gathered in shelters. Most families only have one tarp and one mat," said Catholic Relief Service aid worker Fatwa Fadillah, who is on the ground near Palu, one of the worst-hit areas.

"At Talise beach, where the tsunami came ashore, it's a scene of devastation and search and rescue teams are still looking for survivors. All along the coast, you can see just how massive the tsunami was and the extent of the damage. Body bags are lining the road and the smell is almost unbearable," Fadillah added.

"It's extremely hot and most people are sitting under tarps, just waiting. They're waiting for aid and the sun to go down. They have nothing to do but wait."

Reuters reported on Friday morning that the official death toll from the 7.5-magnitude earthquake and tsunami that followed stands at 1,571, but it is expected to rise further.

Ichsan Hidayat, a survivor on Sulawesi island, said that the bodies of his sister and her 43-day-old daughter were found under the debris. The mother was clutching her baby to her chest.

"Today, I prayed that they are in a better place. They deserve better," Hidayat, a Muslim, said.

Petobo resident Hasnah said that more than half of her family is gone.

"I can't even count how many. Two of my children are gone, my cousins, my sister, my brother-in-law and their children, all gone," the 44-year-old woman said through tears.

Rescue workers are still pulling out bodies from the five-story Mercure Hotel on the Palu coast, which collapsed last Friday.

Martinus Hamaele told CNN he was looking for his 20-year-old daughter, Marienne, but there are no signs of her. Marienne's brother, Frets Ferdinand Hamaele, insisted that the family is not giving up hope, however.

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