Rescue teams in eastern Indonesia discovered six more bodies on Sunday, a day after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake, bringing the death toll to 53, UNN reports, citing AP.
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Rescuers cleared rubble in search of people buried under landslides caused by the earthquake in six districts on Flores, a predominantly Catholic island in the predominantly Muslim country. They focused their efforts on three districts that remained inaccessible: Manggarai, East Manggarai, and Nagekeo, which suffered the greatest damage.
"We have cleared most of the landslides and opened roads to previously isolated villages, although communications disruptions and power outages continue to hamper search efforts," said Fathur Rahman, head of the search and rescue agency in Maumere, the capital of Sikka District.
According to the agency, more than 900 houses were destroyed and another 450 damaged in East Nusa Tenggara province, forcing about 5,000 people to seek temporary shelter. According to Muhari, at least 241 houses were damaged in the Flores region alone.
The death toll from the earthquake in Indonesia has risen to 5116.08.26, 12:48