Indonesia earthquake death toll rises to more than 345
(CNN)The death toll from Sunday’s devastating earthquake on the Indonesian island of Lombok has risen to 347, according to the state-run Antara news agency.
The majority of people died in Kayangan, on the north side of the island, Antara reported. Another 1,447 people were injured and 165,003 were displaced by the 6.9-magnitude quake, National Disaster Management Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told the news agency earlier.
Around 200,000 people live in northern Lombok, a mountainous region, according to the 2010 census. On Tuesday, the government estimated 20,000 people are in need of assistance, with around 80% of buildings destroyed, as aid workers struggled to reach those affected by the disaster.
“We are concerned aid trucks can’t get through because of the debris, and there are also landslides happening,” Husni Husni, a Jarkarta-based representative for the Red Cross, told CNN.
“A lot of people are displaced, and many have migrated to the hilly and mountainous areas because of fear of a tsunami.”
Sumati, 27, lives in Dangiang village in Kayangan. She had recently given birth when the quake hit. With her newborn in her arms, she fled outside as the walls of her home began to shake violently.
“After the quake happened, I ran to get my child. At the time, the electricity was out, but it came back on, so I took my child with me and went outside to save us from the rubble. And thank God I could be saved,” she recounted.
Sumati returned to her home to survey the damage and found the roof partially collapsed.
Sumati has been staying at a makeshift evacuation center with her husband and baby. She said they can’t do much but wait for support from local authorities.
“I now stay in the evacuation spot. It’s cold at night and very hot during the day,” she said. “At nighttime, I need Pamper (diapers). … I’m worried my child will get sick. The health center did not give (the baby) a full bill of health, so I’m very worried. We need help here.”
Full impact of the quake is unclear
As relief agencies get to work on the ground, they warned the full impact of the earthquake may take days to become known.
“We are still waiting for assessments from some of the more remote areas in the north of the island, but it is already clear that Sunday’s earthquake was exceptionally destructive,” Christopher Rassi, the head of the assessment team for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said in a statement.
A man stands near the ruins of a collapsed house on Lombok island on Wednesday.
Despite the mammoth recovery efforts ahead, Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency said Wednesday that international aid was not yet needed.
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