LOMBOK – As many as ninety eight have been killed after a major earthquake hit Indonesia’s popular tourist island of Lombok, an official has said.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) said Sunday’s magnitude-6.9 quake struck 3km from Loloan about 31km underground.
Muhammad Rum, the head of the local disaster agency, said most of the deaths were caused by falling debris.
The earthquake came a week after a magnitude-6.4 quake killed at least 14, injured more than 160 and damaged hundreds of buildings.
Authorities briefly issued a tsunami warning, which was later cancelled.
“Please go to a place with higher ground, while remaining calm and not panicking,” Dwikorita Karnawati, head of the agency for meteorology, climatology and geophysics, told local TV.
She later said seawater had entered three villages.
Many buildings are thought to have been damaged in Lombok’s main city Mataram, said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency.
“They are mostly buildings with weak construction material,” Nugroho said.
North Lombok district chief Najmul Akhyar said an electrical blackout meant he was unable to fully assess the situation.
The earthquake was felt for several seconds in neighbouring Bali, about 100km away, where people ran out of houses, hotels and restaurants.
