The number of people left homeless after an earthquake struck western Indonesia has soared to nearly 84,000, leaving authorities struggling to care for the victims, an official said today.
The shallow quake last week killed more than 100 people and injured many more when it struck Aceh province, one of the areas worst affected by the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004.
Thousands of homes, businesses and mosques were levelled by the 6.5-magnitude quake, which struck at dawn as many in the predominantly Muslim region were preparing to pray.
Hospitals and field clinics were quickly overwhelmed by the injured, and kitchens and shelters swamped by people left with nothing.
As the scale of the disaster continues to unfold, the number of those displaced has nearly doubled to more than 83,800, said national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.
“People are afraid and worried about aftershocks, so feel more comfortable in the evacuation shelters,” he said in a statement.
