The death toll from Sunday’s earthquake on the Indonesia island of Lombok has risen to at least 98 with many more still missing.
The Indonesian Government’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency has reportedly said it expects the toll, which also includes hundreds of injured, to climb further as debris is cleared. The search for the missing is being hampered by landslides and ongoing aftershocks.
Thousands of homes damaged by Sunday’s 7.0 magnitude quake and another which occurred a week earlier with some entire villages lost. An estimated 600,000 people have been affected by the disaster and more than 20,000 are being housed in temporary shelters. Some 10,000 have reportedly been evacuated.
The quake, which occurred just after 7.30pm Sunday night, was felt on the neighbouring island of Bali.
Prof Dr Isabel Apawo Phiri, acting general secretary of the World Council of Churches, has offered the WCC’s “heartfelt condolences” to those affected by the disaster.
In a letter to Indonesian churches, she said the WCC had been “saddened by the images of the devastation and the stories of families displaced after their homes were destroyed”.
“As many among the Indonesian people and tourists from abroad mourn for loved ones they lost, we thank God for all those who come to help and continue to search for those who might be still alive…Be assured that you and your people are in our prayers in this time of sorrow.”
