Aftershocks hit Lombok, cause landslides on Mt. Rinjani

August 20, 2018, 06.25 AM  | Reporter: Barratut Taqiyyah Rafie
Aftershocks hit Lombok, cause landslides on Mt. Rinjani

ILUSTRASI. TEMPAT PENGUNGSIAN KORBAN GEMPA LOMBOK


NATURAL DISASTER/ EARTHQUAKE - MATARAM. Two powerful aftershocks hit Lombok Island in West Nusa Tenggara on Sunday, triggering panic in residents and landslides on Mount Rinjani.

The first was a 5.4-magnitude quake shaking the island at 10:06 a.m., followed by a stronger 6.5-magnitude quake an hour later. No tsunami warning resulted from the quakes, said National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.

Strong jolts were felt for up to eight seconds in East Lombok, North Lombok, West Lombok and Central Lombok regencies. Meanwhile, residents in Mataram city and several cities in Bali, such as Denpasar, Jembrana, Karangasem, Badung, Gianyar and Buleleng, felt medium tremors for approximately six seconds.

“The tremors caused panic. Residents immediately went out of their houses and shelters in North Lombok, Central Lombok and West Lombok. There are no reports yet of casualties and damage from the aftershocks,” Sutopo said in a press statement on Sunday.

The strong quakes have also triggered landslides in several locations on the slopes of the second-tallest volcano in the country, Mt. Rinjani, such as Pegangsingan Hill and Anak Dara Hill in Sembali districts in East Lombok regency. Material that fell in the landslides have caused clouds of ash on the mountain’s slopes.

“There are no casualties reported as authorities still closed Mount Rinjani National Park to visitors. There are no activities from local residents and tourists in the mountain area,” Sutopo said, adding that a search-and-rescue team would still check the area after the aftershocks subside.

The deadly 6.4-magnitude quake that hit the island on July 29 had also caused landslides in the prominent tourist destination of Mt. Rinjani. At that time, more than 1,000 hikers were evacuated after major hiking trails were blocked following the powerful quake.

There were a total of 698 aftershocks recorded following the powerful 7.0-magnitude earthquake that shook the island on Aug 5.

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Editor: Barratut Taqiyyah Rafie

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