The death toll from the magnitude-7 earthquake that rocked Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), on Aug. 5 has risen to 436, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) announced on Monday. 

The agency also recorded at least Rp 5 trillion (US$342 million) in losses after the disaster that left more than 67,000 houses, 468 schools, 20 office buildings and 15 mosques damaged.

“We are still counting the economic losses. We predict that the figure is more than Rp 5.04 trillion,” BNPB spokesperson Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said in a press statement.

Apart from the death toll and economic losses, the BNPB also added that about 1,353 people were injured in the quake. Nearly half of the victims live in North Lombok -- the hardest-hit area due to its close proximity to the quake’s epicenter. 

The BNPB said the death toll was likely to rise because the joint-rescue team was still looking for victims buried under collapsed buildings. A number of affected areas have yet to be reached by the team because access points like roads and bridges have been destroyed by the quake. (evi)