Flores Quake Displaces 40,000 and Kills 70 as Children Receive Trauma Support
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · Aug 19
Flores Quake Displaces 40,000 and Kills 70 as Children Receive Trauma Support
3 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · Aug 19
Summary
More than 40,000 people were still sheltering in tents, evacuation centers and makeshift camps on Flores three days after the quake, with the death toll at 70 and injuries nearing 1,200.
At least 11,925 homes were damaged, along with 172 health facilities, 658 schools, 187 offices and 172 places of worship, underscoring why so many residents remain unable to return.
More than 2,100 aftershocks had been recorded by Tuesday, 70 of them felt, and survivors said children were crying, refusing to go indoors and waking in fear when the ground shook again.
Police, aid workers and volunteers have expanded psychosocial support in evacuation camps, using games, reading and counseling alongside food and medical aid to help children and other survivors recover.
Flores sits on Indonesia's quake-prone Ring of Fire and still carries memories of the island's 1992 earthquake and tsunami, which killed about 2,500 people.
How did Indonesia's proud 81st Independence Day instantly transform into a desperate fight for survival against a devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake?
What hidden dangers still lurk along the Flores Thrust as relentless aftershocks threaten a secondary catastrophe for thousands of displaced survivors?
With tsunami warnings lifted but rogue waves still striking the coast, are isolated communities truly safe from the volatile Ring of Fire?