Strong earthquake hits Indonesia’s Lombok again, no casualties reported

There was no immediate tsunami alert from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

world Updated: Aug 19, 2018 21:45 IST

People evacuate from Lombok International Airport after an earthquake in this still image obtained from a social media video August 19, 2018.(Reuters Photo via Fahad Attamimi)

A strong earthquake rocked Indonesia’s Lombok on Sunday, two weeks after a quake killed more than 480 people on the island and hours after another tremor triggered landslides, damaged buildings and sent people fleeing.

The 6.9 magnitude quake struck at a relatively shallow depth of 20 kilometres (12.5 miles) and about five kilometres south of Belanting town in East Lombok, according to the US Geological Survey. No tsunami warning has been issued. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the quake, which struck in the same district as the tremor earlier on Sunday.

But a sleeping local resident said the powerful tremor jolted him awake. “The earthquake was incredibly strong. Everything was shaking,” Agus Salim told AFP.

“We were all sleeping in an evacuation tent. I had just fallen asleep when suddenly it started to shake... Everyone ran into the street screaming and crying.” The area was hit by a power blackout, he added.

The quake two weeks ago on Lombok also damaged tens of thousands of homes, mosques and businesses on the island and displaced more than 350,000.

First Published: Aug 19, 2018 20:55 IST