Death toll in Indonesia earthquake reaches 387
Jakarta, Aug 11 : Indonesian authorities on Saturday raised the death toll in Lombok island earthquake to 387, while the number of injured and displaced went up to 13,688 and 387,067, respectively.
The 6.9-magnitude earthquake hit the island on last Sunday and was followed by 451 aftershocks, including strong ones with 5.9 magnitude earlier this week.
National Agency for Disaster Management spokesperson Sutopo Purwo Nugroho warned in a statement that the toll could further increase because of the ongoing search for victims buried under rubble and landslides after the temblor, Efe news reported.
The northern region of Lombok, where the epicentre was located, was the worst affected with 334 deaths. It was followed by West Lombok with 30, East Lombok with 10, Mataram with 9, Central Lombok with 2, and Denpasar, capital of the neighbouring island of Bali, with 2.
A total of 67,875 houses, 468 schools, six bridges, 50 oratories, 20 offices, 15 mosques and 13 health centres were demolished or damaged.
Sutopo said that conditions on the ground were difficult as there were still many victims that had not been evacuated or refugees who had not received adequate attention, coupled with continued aftershocks.
Regional authorities extended the emergency response period till August 25 given the conditions, which will help in providing assistance to victims, according to the disaster agency.
Hundreds of non-profits and community organizations were participating in the relief process in Lombok.
Lombok, located next to the Flores plate, had already suffered the impact of a 6.4-magnitude earthquake on July 29 which left 16 dead, 355 injured and 1,500 buildings damaged.
Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region of great seismic and volcanic activity in which some 7,000 earthquakes, mostly moderate, are recorded each year.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
