Quake-hit Lombok suffers another strong aftershock
The Indonesian island of Lombok was shaken again by another powerful aftershock which damaged structures already severely weakened by the stronger quake last weekend.
The latest quake brought down buildings in the island capital Mataram as well as in the north of the island which has taken the brunt over the last 10 days from two strong earthquakes
Rescue workers are still digging through rubble from last Sunday’s magnitude 6.9 earthquake which has virtually levelled entire villages and caused the closure the three Gili Islands.
The latest strong aftershock, measured a magnitude 5.9 by the U.S. Geological Survey.
The central government now puts the death toll at 319 from last weekend’s quake but relief workers on the ground say it is more than 340.
Whatever the true figure, it is almost certain to rise, said national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.
"This number will continue increasing as rescue teams continue to find victims under collapsed buildings," he said.
One relief worker spoke of a pervading ‘smell of death’ in villages struggling to bury victims.
The Red Cross says an estimated 20,000 people have yet to receive any assistance and more than 150,000 have been impacted.
About 70,000 homes were damaged or destroyed even before the latest big aftershock.
Yudianto, who lost his home in Pemenang, described tough conditions living under canvas with fifty other people, with just 1kg of rice for five people a day.
Power is still out over a wide area with virtually no buildings in the town left unscathed, he said, including every school, mosque and medical facility.
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