14 Dead after earthquake hits popular tourist island in Indonesia

14 Dead after earthquake hits popular tourist island in Indonesia

14 people have died and hundreds have been injured after a magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck tourism hotspot, Lombok in Indonesia.

The quake destroyed more than 1,000 homes and was felt in the wider area including Aussie favourite, Bali.

The ABC received a statement from the Australian Consulate General in Bali who confirmed that no Australians are believed to be among those affected at this stage.

However, the BBC reports that a Malaysian tourist was among those killed and a disaster management spokesperson said the number of casualties may increase as information is still being gathered.

The spokesperson, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, told the ABC the earthquake also triggered a large landslide from popular trekking destination, Mount Rinjani.

The earthquake, which struck at 6:47 am local time, was 50km north-east of Mataram in northern Lombok and was followed by 60 smaller earthquakes, the largest recording a magnitude of 5.7.

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“We jumped out of our beds to avoid anything falling on our heads,” Jean- Paul Volckaert who runs a hotel near Senggigi on the western side of Lombok told Reuters.

“I’ve been walking around but so far there is no damage. We were very surprised as the water in the pools was swaying like a wild sea. There were waves in the pools but only for 20 to 30 seconds.”

“The people in the villages may have damages. It’s still early morning here.”

Indonesia is located in the “Ring of Fire” surrounding the shores of the Pacific Ocean, where quakes are common.

No tsunami is expected, as the quake occurred on land.

Featured image source: The BBC. 

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