Third strong earthquake shakes Indonesia’s Lombok as death toll climbs to 319
It was the strongest of some 355 aftershocks that have rattled the island since Sunday
The death toll from a devastating earthquake on the Indonesian island of Lombok jumped to 319 on Thursday, as strong aftershocks triggered panic among traumatised survivors waiting for aid in the worst-hit regions.
The shallow 6.9-magnitude quake on Sunday levelled tens of thousands of homes, mosques and businesses across Lombok, with relief agencies only just starting to reach survivors in some of the worst-hit areas four days later.
“Our latest update is that 319 people died,” said Indonesia’s chief security minister Wiranto, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, adding that rescue efforts were ongoing and complicated by aftershocks.
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The number forced from their homes in the disaster has soared to 270,000, national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said, with around 1,000 people severely injured.
Most of the displaced are sleeping under tents or tarpaulins near their ruined homes or in evacuation shelters that are short of food, clean water and medical help. Makeshift medical facilities have been set up to treat the injured.
Survivors of the quake have also been shaken by hundreds of aftershocks, including a shallow 5.9-magnitude quake on Thursday which caused people to flee evacuation shelters crying and screaming.
