The number of Indonesians forced into tent camps by a pair of powerful earthquakes last weekend more than doubled to 17,400 Thursday, an official said.
Authorities warned that many people who fled their homes after Sunday's 7.3 and 7.6 magnitude quakes were already weak from illness and could become sicker.
"Many are suffering from malaria and respiratory problems during this wet season," said Rahimin Katjong, head of the local disaster relief agency.
The death toll was raised to four after the remains of an infant girl, a 9-year-old boy and a 36-year-old man were found in the town of Sorong, around 60 miles (100 kilometers) from the epicenter, he said.
A 10-year-old girl had already been reported crushed to death in the West Papua capital, Manokwari.
The number of damaged buildings jumped fourfold to 5,800, said Katjong, citing data from remote areas, while the number of people in camps rose by more than 10,000 to 17,400.
West Papua, about 1,830 miles (2,950 kilometers) east of the capital, Jakarta, is one of the most isolated and underdeveloped regions of Indonesia.
Indonesia straddles a chain of fault lines and volcanoes known as the Pacific "Ring of Fire" and is prone to seismic activity. A massive quake off the country's west coast spawned the 2004 Asian tsunami that killed 230,000 people.
© 2009 The Associated Press.
Belum Kepikiran Nikah, Ternyata Ini Kriteria Pria Idaman Ghea Indrawari
Namun di usianya sekarang ini, Ghea Indrawari merasa masih ada banyak hal yang perlu ia lakukan sendiri termasuk mengejar kariernya di industri hiburan.
