Quake of Magnitude 7.0 Strikes Indonesian Island of Lombok
A 6.4 magnitude earthquake hit the island earlier on July 29, killing more than a dozen people. According to Indonesian authorities around 200 people are injured currently and the numbers are likely to go high.
At least 91 people are reportedly dead after an earthquake of magnitude 7.0 has struck the Indonesian Island of Lombok. Massive aftershocks continue.
The earthquake shook the Indonesian Island of Lombok on Sunday causing people to rush out of their homes, hotels, and restaurants. The massive earthquake was 31 kilometers in depth and it struck Loloan on the north end of Lombok. This is the second earthquake to have hit Lombok within a span of a week claiming innocent lives and causing intense damage to property. There has been severe damage to buildings in Lombok’s main city called Mataram. Panicking locals fled to the streets and gathered in huge numbers while officials were urging the crowds not to panic. Due to electricity blackouts and the threat of intense tremors, patients in hospitals had to be tended to on the streets by their respective doctors.
Haji Rum, head of the Nusa Tenggara disaster management agency told in an interview that parts of Lombok are without electricity. Cell phones and landline services are down in Tanjung which is another city of Lombok and close to the epicenter.
A 6.4 magnitude earthquake hit the island earlier on July 29, killing more than a dozen people. According to Indonesian authorities around 200 people are injured currently and the numbers are likely to go high. There have been nearly 130 aftershocks since the quake struck the Island on Sunday.
The island of Lombok is a hot tourist destination and millions of tourists from all over the world throng to the city to experience the beauty, this place has to offer. Lombok, which is a home to about 3 million people is 4500 sq km in area and it lies next to the Island of Bali which is again a hot tourist destination. Fortunately, according to Indonesia’s Ministry of tourism’s recent statement, no tourist had been “injured or impacted” by the earthquake.
Prominent Personalities caught in the calamity
The Island of Bali which is in close proximity to Lombok could not escape the effects of the quake. Images on social media reveal that Bali Airport was damaged however, it soon resumed operations. Popular model and wife of singer John Legend, Chrissy Teigen was holidaying in the Island of Bali when the calamity occurred. Chrissy Teigen said that the tremor lasted for 15 seconds followed by numerous aftershocks.
Another prominent person who was caught in midst of the calamity in Lombok, was Singapore’s Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam. He visited Lombok for a security conference. He described the experience in a Facbook post stating “Suddenly the room shook violently, walls cracked, it was quite impossible to stand up. Heard screams. Came out, and made my way down a staircase, while building was still shaking. Power went out for a while. Lots of cracks, fallen doors. The BBC describes it as a huge earthquake.”
A Tsunami warning was also issued in the islands however, it was later lifted. Both the islands of Lombok and Bali are located in the Pacific Ring of Fire which is a 40,000 Kilometer area of intense seismic and volcanic activity. This is the area where 90% of the world’s earthquakes occur. Some of the top countries that fall under the Pacific Ring of Fire include Chile, Mexico, United States, Russia, Japan, Philippines, Indonesia and Canada. Images and videos on social media suggest that the locals were clearly shaken up by the natural disaster. Now, getting back to normalcy is the biggest challenge for these Islanders.