Death toll from Indonesian quakes climbs to 555

ANKARA

The death toll from earthquakes that rocked eastern Indonesia has risen to over 550, according to the country’s disaster management agency on Thursday.

The agency also said more than 7,000 people were injured in the eastern island of Lombok.

Nearly 75,000 houses have been damaged and 431,436 people had been forced to leave their homes.

Two more earthquakes with magnitudes 6.3 and 6.9 hit the island after the magnitude 7.0 earthquake jolted the island of Lombok on Aug. 5.

In the last 18 days, at least 1,000 aftershocks were recorded in the island.

Authorities fear the death toll will rise further as search-and-rescue efforts are ongoing.

Reporting by Adem Salvarcioglu; Writing by Sena Guler