Indonesia: Thousands evacuated off islands near Lombok August 6 /update 6

Event

On Monday, August 6, Indonesian officials began evacuating tourists from three islands northwest of Lombok following a 6.9-magnitude earthquake which shook the area on Sunday, August 5. At least 2700 foreign and Indonesian tourists had been evacuated from the islands of Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno, and Gili Air as of Monday afternoon (local time). According to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, 18 additional flights were added from Lombok International Airport (LOP) to facilitate the evacuations. No fatalities were reported among the tourists in the area.

As of Monday, recovery efforts were continuing on Lombok, where more than 13,000 homes were damaged and over 20,000 people were displaced by the earthquake. According to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, the majority of the 98 confirmed fatalities were caused by collapsing homes; the quake left at least 236 others injured. Aftershocks are possible in the area in the coming hours and days.

Context

The earthquake was originally registered as magnitude 7.0 but was subsequently downgraded to magnitude 6.9 by the US Geological Survey (USGS). The quake struck off the northern coast of Lombok at 19:46 on August 5. A tsunami warning was issued for affected areas but was later lifted on the evening of August 5.

Indonesia lies within the active seismic zone known as "the Pacific Ring of Fire." On July 29, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck southwest of Lelongken, resulting in at least 14 deaths.

Advice

Individuals present in the impacted region are advised to monitor the situation, be prepared for further aftershocks, and heed all instructions issued by local authorities. Individuals elsewhere in Indonesia are advised to defer nonessential travel to the affected areas until further notice.

During an earthquake, individuals are advised to protect themselves as much as possible from falling debris if indoors (e.g. under a table), to move away from windows and exterior walls, and to not attempt to leave the building unless there is an immediate danger. If outdoors, move away from any tall structures, such as buildings, utility wires, and streetlights.