Indonesia: At least five killed on Lombok and Sumbawa by earthquakes /update 12

Event

Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency has confirmed at least five fatalities on Lombok and Sumbawa islands as of the morning (local time) of Monday, August 20, following recent earthquakes in the region. Recovery efforts are ongoing following the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that hit Lombok shortly before 23:00 on Sunday, August 19. According to disaster officials, two people were killed in eastern Lombok and three on Sumbawa due to falling debris. Power outages continued throughout Lombok on Monday morning amid ongoing recovery efforts. Details are still emerging. Additional aftershocks are likely in the coming hours

Context

Lombok has been hit by a series of earthquakes and aftershocks in recent weeks, and is still recovering from two temblors that caused significant damage and loss of life. On July 29, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake triggered landslides, leaving at least 16 people dead. It was followed several days later on August 5 by a 7.0-magnitude quake that killed at least 460 people and displaced 270,000 others.

Indonesia lies within the active seismic zone known as "the Pacific Ring of Fire."

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 do 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.