Nearly 60,000 displaced by recurring tremors in Indonesia

The number of people displaced in Indonesia has risen to nearly 60,000 amid recurring tremors following a powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck the country over the weekend, an official told Anadolu on Wednesday.

“The number of displaced people has reached 59,647 and it is mainly due to aftershocks” since Saturday’s earthquake, Berton Panjaitan, head of the communications center at Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency, said in a written statement.

The Southeast Asian nation of nearly 287 million people was struck by the earthquake in East Nusa Tenggara province, home to the popular tourist destination of Labuan Bajo, causing widespread damage.

According to Panjaitan, 3,002 aftershocks have been recorded since Saturday.

The death toll from the disaster has risen to 71, while 898 people have been injured, he said, adding that aid is being delivered to affected areas.

Nearly 12,000 structures were also damaged by the powerful earthquake.

On Tuesday, Indonesian authorities temporarily closed several tourist attractions on Flores Island for safety inspections.