40,000 people left homeless by earthquake in Indonesia

Around 40,000 people have been left homeless and nearly 12,000 homes damaged by a magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck off the coast of Flores Island in Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara province on August 15, the Jakarta Globe reported, citing Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency.

According to the latest figures, the death toll from the earthquake has reached 70, while 1,182 people have been injured. A total of 16,400 families across three provinces have been affected by the disaster. In the affected areas, 11,925 homes, 663 educational institutions, 184 government buildings, 182 healthcare facilities, 173 religious sites and dozens of other infrastructure facilities, including roads and bridges, have been damaged.

Rescue services are continuing to search for missing people. Electricity supplies have been almost fully restored in the areas affected by the disaster.

Antara news agency, citing Indonesian Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya, reported that the country’s authorities have sent a total of 253 tonnes of aid to East Nusa Tenggara province for residents affected by the earthquake.