Around 1,000 people are still missing in three areas after the earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia.

The number of those still unaccounted for is an estimate by the national disaster agency and is made up of those believed to be missing from the areas of Petobo, Balaroa and Sigi, neighbourhoods in the hard-hit city of Palu.

A spokesman said that most victims in Petobo are in flattened homes buried under at least three metres of mud that has now solidified.

Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said: "The liquefaction damage is unprecedented in Indonesia, high seismic activity."

It comes as the number of dead rose to 1,424.

Villagers search for salvageable items among the ruins of a house devastated after the earthquake and tsunami in Balaroa Village, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia | Image: Ivan Damanik/Zuma Press/PA Images

Thousands more are believed to be missing from other areas, with people trapped under rubble or mud due to the process of liquefaction which sees the earth loosen due to the earthquake then turn into what looks like a heaving liquid.

The 7.5-magnitude earthquake hit Sulawesi island on Friday and was followed by a tsunami as high as 6m (20ft) - which destroyed homes and left hundreds of thousands desperate for food and water.

Six days after disaster struck survivors are still seeking handouts and looting shops as aid has been slow to get to many areas.

Several Irish charities are appealing for aid and donations to help those affected - including the Irish Red Cross and Oxfam Ireland.

Village 'wiped off the map'

It comes after an entire village was obliterated by the tsunami.

Red Cross search and rescue teams who reached Petobo, on the borders of Palu and Sigi, found that the village no longer existed.

The charity says it was home to almost 500 people, while the bodies of 14 people have been recovered so far.

Iris van Deinse from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is in Palu.

She said: "Red Cross responders are pushing their way through debris and damaged roads to reach new areas and try to help the survivors, and they are finding devastation and tragedy everywhere.

"When we arrived in Petobo, we found that it had been wiped off the map by the power of the tsunami.

"We're doing everything we can to bring medical treatment, clean water and support to the worst-affected areas.

"The survivors of this disaster have lost loved ones, homes and livelihoods. We cannot let them lose hope as well".

Access has also been hampered by the destruction of roads and bridges across the affected areas.

Additional reporting: Jack Quann