When the New York Times photographer Adam Dean arrived in Palu, Indonesia, this week, he found death and devastation at every direction.

The earthquake and tsunami that struck the Indonesian island of Sulawesi on Friday has killed more than 1,400 people — a number that could still rise — and destroyed thousands of buildings. Hungry people were begging for aid and armed men were scavenging ripped-open stores. Soldiers with medical masks shielding their faces buried the decomposing dead in mass graves. Rescuers, lacking heavy equipment, were clawing through the rubble by hand, still hoping to find survivors.

By Wednesday, the extent of the damage was finally becoming evident.

One of the worst hit areas of Palu, a neighborhood called Balaroa, saw almost no damage from the wall of water brought on by the tsunami, but suffered severe damage from the earthquake and subsequent liquefaction. The process caused soil to flow like liquid, crumpling houses as the ground churned. Many were buried in their homes, now a pile of twisted concrete and rebar. Cars came to rest at improbable angles and a once-beautiful golden-roofed mosque with a minaret askew lay teetering in the chaos.

Search and rescue teams started to work their way through the damage there on Wednesday. Local residents pointed out where they thought the dead were buried based on odor.