Um LoAmmi, I'm a pretty hard core person. I don't believe that studying for most of one's life decreases the need of actual proof or the truth its self. As far as I remember the material of their cloths was not known (they did some experiments to discover its type, but still nothing decreases the need of actual proof or actual truth shall I say), I saw no actual seen belt, their body seemed all in one color (can you please put it as a pic so I see it?). More importantly, how can they ever be sure of the purpose of that belt? This city was destroyed over 1500 years ago. And whether there were some slaves that died or not, that is not my focus here, in my reply to you I highly disagreed about the part of non slaves escaping and slaves remaining. I believe that no one can escape God punishment, only whom God willed for them to leave. And if humans victimize poor or helpless humans while favoring and glorifying the rich, God doesn't. Just because their bodies weren't found, doesn't mean they 'escaped.' Allah (God) reveals to us some of examples, and hide other examples to unknown date. Once again, it happened more than 1500 years ago, and God knows in which form the others died and where is their remaining. Also, Allah (God) view us by our hearts not social or physical status (slaves/sick). Whomever had died from that city, and wherever, or whenever, and whatever form was their death happened without one inch of misjudgment, because Allah (God) is the All Mightily, All knowing, All forgiving, All Merciful, and so on in his remaining 95 names/characteristics. The closest to him in Islam perspective, are the most fearful of him and most faithful.
Anyhow~ I just wanted to show a piece of my faith regarding the statement of killing sick people and slaves, honestly I found it rude (my God can easily make the sick healed, or die due to sickness, can make the slave a master or die due to slavery. I believe his great punishments come for great sins, the greater the sin is, the greater the punishment is).Thus, If you have different perspective you can state it without ridiculing my words like that. I really would like to have people talking about their ideas in their religions rather than including me or my perspective in each statement they make to show me that I'm wrong or whatsoever.
I want to see the belt, thought it won't change my opinion on the matter.