Death toll from Indonesian earthquake exceeds 1,900

The death toll from a devastating earthquake in Indonesia has reached 1,944. As many as 683 people are still missing, Xinhua reported on Sunday.

According to the news agency, a total of 2,549 people are in hospitals and 152 people more can be still buried under the debris. The agency quoted spokesman for Indonesia’s National Agency for Disaster Management Sutopo Purwo Nugroho as saying it is planned to finish the search and rescue operation on Thursday. He did not rule out however it could be extended for three more days.

The series of earth tremors followed by a tsunami drove more 62,000 Indonesians from their homes. They have been accommodated at temporary shelters and in 147 evacuation centers.

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake rocked Indonesia on September 28. It was followed by more than 360 aftershocks. Earth tremors generated a five to seven-high tsunami.