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INDONESIA-EARTHQUAKE-TOLL
Death toll of Indonesia’s earthquake surpasses 460, search for victims
continues
JAKARTA, Aug 16, 2018 (BSS/Xinhua) – The number of death toll of the
strong quake rattling Lombok Islands of central Indonesia surged to 460
people, while rescuers keep scrambling to pull out of the victims from ruins,
an official of disaster agency disclosed on Thursday.
A total of 7,773 people sustained injuries as the jolts damaged 71,962
houses, 671 educational facilities, 52 health infrastructures including one
hospital and 11 health clinics, 20 office building, and collapsed six
bridges, spokesman of the national disaster management agency Sutopo Purwo
Nugroho revealed.
That forced 417,000 folks to flee homes and take shelter in makeshift
encampment or under tarpaulins, Sutopo said.
“Those figures are looked to rise, as rescuers are rushing to pull out
victims from the rubble of twisted buildings,” he told Xinhua in a text
message.
The spokesman said that several landslides had taken places in several
spots after the quake.
He said that the risk of the quake leads to a 509.6-million U.S. dollars
financial loss.
A 7.0-magnitude quake struck off Lombok Island on Aug. 5, a week after a
6.4-magnitude hit the tourist favorite destination island, since then,
hundreds of aftershocks have followed.
Indonesia has been frequently stricken by quake as it is situated on a
vulnerable quake-affected one so called the Pacific Ring of Fire.
BSS/XINHUA/FI/ 1146 hrs