Jakarta, Aug 24 (IANS) The death toll from the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Indonesia’s Flores region on August 15 has risen to 100, with 1,603 people injured and over 180,000 still displaced, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) said Monday.
BNPB chief Suharyanto said many of the additional deaths were people who had initially suffered serious injuries and later died while receiving treatment.
He said 6,409 aftershocks have been recorded, including 33 with a magnitude of at least 5.0. The strongest measured 6.2.
The earthquake also damaged public facilities, including 87 educational facilities, 18 health facilities, five places of worship, and six government offices.
Suharyanto urged residents not to believe false information about stronger earthquakes or another tsunami, saying aftershock activity has shown a declining trend in recent days.
Authorities said aftershocks could continue for three to four weeks after the main quake, with their frequency and intensity expected to decline.
The government continues to deliver aid to displaced residents, including those in remote areas.
The epicentre was located 36 km northeast of Mbay, East Nusa Tenggara province, with a depth of 15 km, according to the BMKG, which has issued a tsunami warning following the tremor, Xinhua news agency reported.
Meanwhile, an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.3 jolted Flores Region at 2120 GMT on Sunday, the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences said.
The epicentre, with a depth of 10 km, was initially determined to be at 8.33 degrees south latitude and 120.69 degrees east longitude.
Indonesia sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” and is home to more than 120 active volcanoes, making it one of the world’s most volcanically active countries.
Among Indonesia’s history of deadly quakes is a devastating 9.1-magnitude tremor in 2004 that struck off the coast of Sumatra and triggered a tsunami that killed 220,000 throughout the region, including about 170,000 in Indonesia.
–IANS
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