Jakarta, Aug17 (SANA)The death toll from a powerfulearthquakethat struck easternIndonesiaon Saturday has risen to 68, Indonesian authorities said Monday.

A disaster management agency official said at a press conference that 68 people had been confirmed dead following the 7.7-magnitude earthquake.

The earthquake was followed by around 341 aftershocks, making it Indonesia’s deadliest earthquake since a 2022 tremor.

Indonesia, home to nearly 290 million people, lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an area of intense seismic and volcanic activity caused by the movement and interaction of tectonic plates. The country is consequently prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.kA.MZN