Deadly earthquake strikes Indonesian tourist islands
At least 37 people were killed when a 6.9-magnitude earthquake and strong aftershocks rocked Indonesia’s resort islands of Bali and Lombok on Sunday, causing people to rush out of homes, hotels and restaurants.
The 7 magnitude quake damaged buildings, triggered power cuts and was felt in neighbouring Bali.
A tsunami warning was issued in its aftermath but it was lifted several hours later.
It comes a week after another quake hit the island killing at least 16 people. Lombok is a popular tourist site for its beaches and hiking trails.
The US Geological Survey said the latest quake, off the north coast of Lombok, struck 10km (6.21 miles) underground.
More than 50 people were injured.
The tremors prompted a large-scale evacuation of a nearby volcano.
A spokesman for Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency told the AFP news agency that many buildings had been affected in Lombok’s main city of Mataram.
Like Bali, Lombok is known for pristine beaches and mountains. Hotels and other buildings in both locations are not allowed to exceed the height of coconut trees.
Indonesia is prone to earthquakes due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin. In December 2004, a massive earthquake with a magnitude of 9.1 off Sumatra triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries.
