TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - West Lombok Development Planning Agency has calculated that the recent deadly earthquakes had caused the district to suffer material losses of Rp4.1 trillion.

Speaking to journalists on Saturday, Head of West Lombok District`s Development Planning Agency H. Baehaqi stated that the calculation was made by his men under the supervision of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency`s (BNPB) representatives.

Baehaqi noted that the strong earthquakes that rocked the Indonesian resort island of Lombok on Aug 5 and Aug 19, 2018, had caused serious fatalities and catastrophes in housing, infrastructure, social and economic, government, and security sectors.

The housing sector was affected so badly, because around Rp3.65 trillion, or 91.3 percent, of the total worth of the material losses went to this sector, he remarked, adding that the disaster had also killed, wounded, and displaced so many people.

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A total of 57,614 houses, 108 houses of worship, 84 health service facilities, 294 school buildings, 26 government buildings, 294 shops, and seven bridges, got damaged by a string of earthquakes that hit Lombok Island in August.

As of Sept 8, the related authorities had verified the real condition of 36,363 damaged houses.

The BNPB noted that the strong earthquakes, including the 7.0-magnitude quake that shook Lombok Island, West Nusa Tenggara Province, on Aug 5, had killed at least 555 people and caused injuries to 829 others.

The majority of the fatalities were residents of North Lombok District areas, due to their close proximity to the strong earthquake`s epicenter. The repeated earthquakes have also forced 134,236 people to be displaced.

In response to the catastrophes, the central government had set a target of six months to complete the reconstruction of houses damaged by the previous earthquakes.

"The reconstruction must be completed in six months` time. The president has ordered the reconstruction (of the damaged houses) after the emergency response period is over," Vice President Jusuf Kalla said during his recent visit to Lombok Island.

ANTARA