(CNN)The Indonesian government has defended itself against accusations it issued inadequate safety warnings as a powerful earthquake triggered a tsunami that killed at least 844 people.
The 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit Sulawesi island on Friday causing three-meter-high (10 foot) waves to surge over parts of its northwestern shore, with groups of people caught on the coastline, apparently unaware of the danger.
Experts underscored the difficulties of predicting tsunamis and raising safety alerts across Indonesia’s vast archipelago of over 17,000 islands and 261 million people, but others pointed to a lack of government coordination and funding.
