Graves lay scattered across a beach on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi on Tuesday (December 14) after high tides swept into a local cemetery.

Footage captured on Takatidung beach in Polewali showed at least a dozen graves strewn close to the water, some half-buried by the sand.

According to locals, families even had to move exposed bodies from the water's edge.

Residents said homes and other buildings were also damaged by the extremely high tide.

High tides destroy cemeteries and houses on the west coast of Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Footage filmed in Takatidung beach at Polewali, Tuesday, December 14, shows the beach filled with hundreds of graves strewn with several shrouds on the sand.

According to local Zainuddin, the body in the tomb was moved by the family as they were worried that the abrasion would get worse.

"The land, which was originally 50 meters from the shore, now only has 5 meters left in normal weather conditions. However, entering December, sea water swept across the land until trees fell one by one. Some locals who have family graves in the location chose to move to a new tomb location not far from this place. Unfortunately, there are still many tombs that have not been moved by families who allegedly don't know," Zainuddin added.

Not only tombs, several houses of residents have also been damaged, forcing the residents to move to safe places.