Villagers receive medical treatment at a temporary hospital in Lombok, Indonesia, Aug. 25, 2018. The number of death toll of multiple strong-quakes, striking tourist Island Lombok in central Indonesia since the end of last month, climbed to 555, disaster agency officials said on Friday. (Xinhua/Zulkarnain)
JAKARTA, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- The number of death toll of multiple strong-quakes, striking tourist Island Lombok in central Indonesia since the end of last month, climbed to 555, disaster agency officials said on Friday.
The jolts of quakes hitting the island from July 29 to Aug. 19 have forced around 402,000 residents to flee home and take shelters at makeshift encampment, Agung Pramuja, head of the emergency unit of the disaster agency in West Nusa Tenggara province, told Xinhua via telephone from the province.
The tremblor devastated a total of 80,588 houses, the official said.
On relief efforts, Pramuja said personnel of disaster agency and volunteers are receiving aids and distributing them to the quake-affected persons in the island.
Reconstruction of the devastated areas will be immediately undertaken in weeks to come, he added.
Indonesia has been frequently stricken by quake as it is situated on a vulnerable quake-affected area called the Pacific Ring of Fire.
